The Collector
by Avia Jenith
Summary: COMPLETED! Yea! The Collector has amassed a great store of rare artifacts. Now he's searching for the Purest Light in the Galaxy to add to his collection. And he's found it in Domino City, inside Yugi.
1. Chapter 1 Byakuya

Chapter 1

Byakuya

The Collector sat on his favorite throne of his collection, a chair of carved ivory bone, all of a piece, from a rare species found only in one small area on one planet in the whole galaxy. The gems that encrusted its surface, crafted so as not to interfere with its comfort, were the most perfect specimens of each of their kind, and they sparkled in the golden light. His treasure room glowed with the light, refracted off of gold and gems, silver and satins, all part of his favorite pieces.

He was the Collector. His joy in life came from his collection, a new joy coming with each priceless piece he added. Complete sets of sought-after items were displayed in rooms of their own, rare but unclassifiable items in others. But unique items were his true pleasure, those that could never be replaced or copied.

"I secured the darkest creature in existence, his evil stifled forever while he rests for all time in my halls," the Collector spoke to himself and his treasures, ringed fingers waving toward the trophy, a black, demonic-looking skull mounted on the glittering gold wall, leathery skin stretched taut against the bone, curved horns in a malicious spiral pointing toward cruelly sharp fangs. "Unique in its right, yet it calls for its obvious pair. And now, a mere week later, I have found what I seek," his greedy eyes gazed at the information displayed on the screen before him, "I have found the purest light."

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa sat on the school roof, watching the sun stain the sky red, yellow, and orange. The golden highlights on the edges of the clouds gave way beneath their gaze to the brighter colors that reflected off of them, casting an odd pallor of fiery intensity across the quartet.

"Ahhh, dis is life: a Friday afternoon, good friends, a cold soda, and no spiky-haired weirdoes tryin' to take over the world. Yup, life is good," came Joey's voice languorously from against the wall.

"Yeah, Joey, just spoil the nice moment with a stupid comment like that!" Téa said, getting up and stretching. "Well, guys it's getting late, we should probably be heading home now. I've got a shift earl tomorrow at Burger World." The vibrant hues died into deepening blues as the three boys joined her, raising arms above their heads and shaking legs to work out kinks. Laughing, joking, and trading insults, Yugi's friends followed Téa down the stairs off the roof.

_Yugi, wait._

"What's wrong, Pharaoh?" The ethereal form of his ancient friend floated by his side. His expression was tense and worried, his deeply violet eyes looking out at the growing gloom off the roof. "Everything all right?"

_I sense a presence._

"A presence? You mean, like another evil spirit?"

_I can't tell. Benevolent, malevolent, or perhaps something different, it's unclear._

An unfamiliar voice came from behind them, at the shoulder of the pharaoh. "**_As I am not a thief, we shall have a trade." _**His friends continued on down the stairs, caught up in their laughter, assuming his customary presence behind them. None noticed his absence.

"Who said that?" Yugi said, startled by the voice. He peered into the gloom behind him, the spirit spinning around to face the newcomer. Darkness greeted them, with no sign of another presence. "Is someone there?" A quick burst of light came from the puzzle around Yugi's neck, he and Yami switching places as always in troubled times.

_Perhaps we just imagined it, _suggested Yugi, unconvinced.

"Maybe, but mostly likely not. We both heard the voice, so it's doubtful that we _both_ imagined the same strange event." Yami glanced around, trying to find the origin of the voice.

**_It is a fair trade, my desire for yours._** The voice emanated once again from behind them from a dark form vaguely visible in the night. Looks of surprise crossed both of the two's faces as the form lurched forward and enveloped the ethereal Yugi. It constricted in an instant, before either had a chance to react. His outline began to waver, and Yugi cried out in pain and shock. His counterpart shouted as well, his soul echoing the ravaging of the one it was bound to, the puzzle flaring in a flash of light that lit the entire roof. An eternal second later, the pain became too intense, and welcome unconsciousness engulfed them.

* * *

"Hey! 'Ello in there! You all right, pal? Hey, Yuge, wake up!" The voice pierced the darkness of comfortable sleep, stirring Yami's consciousness.

"Something must have happened, or the pharaoh wouldn't be out of his puzzle."

"We weren't gone that long. What could've happened to make him yell like that?" The words penetrated the wool surrounding his mind, and his eyes fluttered open.

"You're awake! Dude, what happened?" asked Tristan while Joey helped him up against the wall. Téa moved the beam of a flashlight from her backpack away from his blinking eyes.

"I…I don't know. There was a voice. We both heard it, but no one was there when we searched for whom it belonged to." He ran a hand over his spiky hair, the blonde bangs sweeping back into place.

"Man, you jinxed 'em. You made that stupid comment and now there's another wacko loose." Tristan whacked Joey on the back of the head, Joey turning to retaliate, the familiar light of battle in his eyes. "Watch it, wiseass! I aughta-"

"Stop. This isn't the time for fighting. There's a greater problem now than simply a wounded pride." Téa looked at him quizzically, Tristan and Joey froze, Tristan's hand gripping Joey's hair, and Joey holding Tristan's collar.

"What do you mean? What's wrong, Pharaoh?"

"Yugi…he's not answering my calls. I don't know if he's merely unable to answer or no longer with us at all." He stuck his hands in his pockets to warm them up on the cold night as the three's faces echoed the horror he felt inside. As he did, his fingers brushed against something concealed in its folds. Pulling it out, Yami saw a piece of paper, if it could be called that, for it was something different, yet at the same time close. The strange material had some kind of writing upon it.

"'S'it say?" Joey crowded around his arms, looking at the missive. The glyphs were of an unfamiliar script, but Yami could read it somehow. It read

A fair trade has been enacted. This is a receipt of the transaction, taken place between I, called the Collector, and the spirit known as Pharaoh Yami. A trade was proposed, and no objection given. I, the Collector, hold this as a verbally binding contract for the trade of one human boy in exchange for one mortal, corporeal body.

The Collector

"What does that mean? Does that mean he took Yugi?" Téa asked worriedly.

"Yeah, and what does he mean 'a trade was proposed, no objection was given'?" Joey demanded, his tone high and mocking as he repeated the lines. "Did you sell out my best bud?"

"Of course not, Joey, don't be stupid! The pharaoh would never do something like that. Right?" Téa looked at him imploringly, an edge of panic in her voice.

"Yes. Whoever this 'Collector' is, it's clear he's good at twisting words. The voice Yugi and I heard mentioned a "fair trade", though it never revealed itself. When I demanded that it make itself known, we received only another vague statement about a trade, then were attacked. Hardly fair, as we were powerless to stop it." Yami watched as Joey turned the paper over, examining the backside.

"But why would whoever he is take Yugi? What would he want with him?" Téa asked.

"Maybe he's trying to get the Pharaoh to do something. I mean, it's happened before," replied Tristan.

"I don't think so. If that were what he wanted, I would have been left with something more than a written voucher. As I seem to have been given no demands or instructions, there is most likely a different motive driving this."

"Maybe this'll help," said Joey, his nose buried in the note. "He left like a business card on the back. Get this: _If your transaction was satisfactory, I can be contacted for future business._ And there's a phone number. Our 'transaction' was unsatisfactory, but I think it'll work. What a whack job, kidnappin' Yuge then leaving us a way to contact him!"

They found a public phone booth, Téa digging out a coin from her pink handbag for the machine. Yami dialed the number on the back. Ringing filled his ears as it connected, the combined clouds of breath from the four of the clouding the booth's streaked panes. A machine picked up. _If you'd like to make an appointment to see the galaxy-wide famous collection of the Collector, please make a reservation at least 1 year in advance. For business, please call back in the morning. The office hours in which you may contact us are 9 A.M… _Yami hung up disgustedly.

"I don't know what to do. Our only lead to where he is is this number, but I can't reach anyone until the morning."

"C'mon, you've done your best. There's nothing more you can do 'til then, man. Let's get some rest so we can kick some butt in the morning. Okay?" Tristan bent down to peer into the pharaoh's disgruntled face. No response came. "Great. I'll call Gramps and tell him Yugi's going to spend the night at my house. That way, he won't freak, and my parents'll never notice something's not right. Let's go!"


	2. Chapter 2 Gilded Captor

Chapter 2

Gilded Captor

Yugi awoke slowly, fighting the dizziness that engulfed him and the sinking feeling in his stomach. He kept his eyes closed, letting the discomfort subside and running through the recent events in his head. _Last thing I remember, someone, or maybe **something,** was talking to us. He didn't really make a lot of sense, just kept talking about some trade. I didn't get a good look at him, did you, Pharaoh?_

Silence came in response. _Pharaoh? Are you all right?_ Only the incessant noise of animals answered. Confusion and worry swept over him at this odd revelation. He sat up slowly and opened his eyes, their striated purple taking in the strange scene. It had been his assumption that he and Yami were still on the roof of the school, but this place was certainly nowhere near there anymore. Animals of all types and kinds softly spoke their mind to the large room, not one of them a creature of any sort he knew. Fish of vibrant and unusual colors swam in tanks bigger than his bedroom wall. Feline- and canine-like creatures prowled restlessly at the end of delicate-looking golden chains affixed to collars around their necks. It was a veritable zoo of otherworldly nature, and he hadn't a clue why he was there.

A bird of bright purple plumage squawked in his ear, dropping a deep blue feather in his lap and startling him. A soft clink of chain, sounded during his sudden movement, caught his attention. He looked down at the sound, eyeing the gracefully curved feather upon his legs and let out a yell of surprise. That sound hadn't been the familiar tones of the chain holding his puzzle. In fact, the puzzle was gone, its familiar weight suddenly conspicuously absent around his neck. In its place hung a finely wrought gold chain, so elegant as to seem to be the chain of a fine necklace. But a similar chain was strung between the two bracelets now on his hands, their silver-chased gold surface tight enough to not come off, but loose enough not be uncomfortable. He ran his hands up the dangling chain, following its length down to an anchor in the floor, then up to his neck. There it met with a leather band, much like the one he typically wore, but this one was supple and soft, and also lacking any obvious means of removal.

_At least that explains why the Pharaoh won't answer. The puzzle's gone._ Alone except for the collection of beasts, Yugi studied the rest of himself with dismay. On his chest was a loose-fitting shirt of a soft ivory colored material, cut in an old peasant style and simply but elegant embroidered with thread of deep jade and a regal violet the color of his eyes. Slightly baggy breeches the shade of sun-baked skin hung from his waist, reaching just below his knees. His feet were covered in padded slippers of a matching hue, covered with gold and silver scroll work and studded with jade and amethyst that accented his top, and no sound came from beneath him as he stood. Bangles adorned his wrist, etched with intricate designs and chinking a tone with his movements. A single necklace of twined gold and silver hung beneath his lavish leash, a garnet the size of a robin's egg suspended on his breast, its hidden color released by glints of light reminiscent of the sheen upon his hair.

_Well, whoever has me, he's not lacking in money. But why give all this to me?_ Yugi pondered, gently stroking the head of the bird while it rubbed against his hand. A metallic click sounded in the room, followed by a low _whiff_ of air. He turned towards the noise. A panel was sliding back in the gilt wall where previously there had been no visible exit. In its shadowy portal stood a man, his corpulence disturbing and revolting, yet somehow allowing him a regal and haughty air. Yugi knew that this must be the man who owned it all, the proprietor of this place, the possessor of these riches. How someone could decorate, accessorize, and display his wealth in such an impressive and elegant way, and yet still possess no fashion sense for his own self, eluded him. He lumbered ponderously into the gold-tinged light, his garish outfit swaying with each heaving step. A black shirt stretched tightly across a rotund middle that jiggled with every movement, the bright, jarring dragons appliquéd across it seeming to writhe with distress. Bluish gray pants with a silver shine bulged with flabby legs that seemed too stubby to possibly support his weight. Over it all hung a draping golden robe brushing his ankles, precious stones of every sort, familiar and new alike, decorated the cloth, a rainbow of threads sewn in innumerable pictorials throughout its length. Jewelry draped from every appendage, neck, arms, wrists, hands, ears, ankles, in a superfluous display of opulence. In all, it reminded Yugi of the exaggerated dress of the men in Las Vegas, dressed as supposed pharaohs to bring tourism to the new Egypt-themed hotels.

"Ahhhh, so you're awake. I trust you've found your new attire suitable." The reubenesque man's jowls wobbled as he spoke, his tone and expression displaying incongruous solicitousness.

"Who are you, and why am I here? Where is here anyway?" Yugi took a step back as he approached him, and his back met the wall behind him, the chain on his neck pulling nearly taut, that of the linked bracelets on his wrists dangling around his mid-thighs.

"Good questions, yes, all good questions," the man's swollen lips split in a good-humored grin. "I am known throughout this galaxy as the Collector. You are now in my home, amidst my greatest collections and most valuable possessions." The Collector's face lit up as he spoke.

"You said 'galaxy,' right? Like stars and space and suns kind of galaxy?" Yugi asked querulously.

"Yes, yes," said the Collector, his tone patient as if he were explaining common knowledge to a young child. "I had forgotten. Your planet knows only of the worlds inside their own system. Yes, there is an entire galactic civilization out here. It makes the struggles of your _Earth_ seem rather pitiful when they could easily be solved by the most simple of apparatus available only a few thousand light-years away." The statement about his home rankled slightly, but he didn't want to upset his captor, so he let it pass.

"You still haven't answered all of my questions. Why am _I _here?" The other man leaned forward, placing his face near Yugi's, who recoiled the last bit the leash would allow.

"Now that is as interesting question. I shall do my best to answer. You see, each person in this life must make a name for themselves to truly survive the harsh cruelties of this universe. I needed something to do with all my money, as just being rich is too, shall I say, commonplace? I had always been an avid collector as a child: coins, bugs, that sort of thing. So I decided to expand my gatherings. Today I own the greatest compilation of completed sets and unique items the galaxy over. You can see around you now the work of many years, my own private stock of the rarest creatures, many of which don't exist anymore outside this room." Yugi glanced at the assembled animals, realizing for the first time that many were caged or leashed in pairs. "But what's all this got to do with me?" he asked.

"Well, I recently acquired a rather interesting item of priceless value. Quite a terrifying piece, but rather beautiful in its grotesqueness. It was the mounted head of the creature commonly acknowledged as the darkest being in existence." A horrible chuckle gurgled low in his throat. "Not only did I gain a valuable collectable when he perished, but a handsome reward from the government as thanks for removing his danger from the galaxy. Now it is unique, for only one creature may be the darkest evil ever to inhabit these worlds, yet it seems to have obvious partner. After all, where there is shadow, there must also be a light that casts it. And that, my dear boy, is where you come in. I believe you understand my meaning." Yugi shifted uneasily, more than a little worried. "Oh, don't worry, my pet, I won't harm you. Isn't any creature more interesting and appealing alive? The other of the set was only killed for my safety. Can't trust evil, you know?"

A shadowy figure appeared behind the Collector, an exact replica of the one on top of the school. It slowly approached Yugi, reaching with dark pseudopods. The fatty fingers of the man gently grasped the base of the chain linking him to the ground. The soft click of a lock releasing came from beneath his hand, leaving the golden line grasped in his sweaty palm. He handed it to the shadow, the end disappearing into its murky depths. Yugi pulled softly at the chain, experimentally testing the creature's grip. It didn't give even slightly, though it also didn't seem to notice his move.

"I have some important guests to meet. You needn't worry about accommodations. My shadow creatures shall escort you to my main treasure room. It contains all my most impressive pieces." The great girth of the Collector turned slowly and waddled back toward the concealed exit. "Do try to make yourself comfortable once you arrive." The golden wall slid back to allow him through, then shut with a soft _whiff._ The shadow closed the remaining distance between them, enclosing him once more in its embrace. He cried out, first in fear, then in shock as the creature then dissolved into the floor, rematerializing in another gilded room. The shadow released its cold hold on him, and the chain was once more reattached, this time to an elegant pole beside a luxurious silver silk cushion. With a shimmer, the shadow dissipated, leaving him alone in the room he guessed to be the Collector's treasure room. Yugi let loose a sigh, then did his best to get comfortable before settling down for the night, trying to make sense of all that had just transpired. Back in the bestiary, the purple bird stared at the deep blue feather upon the floor, where it had fallen during his hasty departure.


	3. Chapter 3 Traders Meet

Chapter 3

Traders Meet

The night passed slowly, dragging on interminably in endless moments of worry. The television flashed unnatural light and let loose discordant noise, but the three young men paid it little attention. The phone jangled, and Tristan reached across Joey to answer.

"'Lo? Hey Téa. What's up? Oh, we're fine, doing just about as well as we were an hour ago when you called last time. Yeah, I know you're worried, but it's not exactly like my dad'll let a girl come to a guys sleepover. We'll call you in the morning before we do anything. Yeah, I promise." He said goodbye, then replaced the phone on its cradle. "Ya know, it's gettin' kinda late. We can't help Yugi right now, so we might as well hit the sack. At least then we can be rested tomorrow when we kick that creep's butt."

"Tristan's right. You need your sleep, bud. You can take his bed." Joey handed his friend a blanket, flinching slightly as Tristan punched his arm, muttering some comment about how generous he was with other people's stuff. A few minutes later, the three were bedded down, tired minds thankfully shutting down for the night.

* * *

They met up with Téa soon after sunrise, sneaking out of the house while Tristan's parents slept. Through the filter of their worry, the bloodshot sky and sherbet hued clouds seemed a sick parody of the previous evening. In a secluded alcove of the city, the crimson-tinged light of the morning bathed them in its glow as Yami dialed the number into Téa's pink phone. "Let's just hope this works," she moaned into the morning chill. The phone rang three times as he pushed the speaker against his ear. A recorded message answered midway through the fourth.

_Hello, you've reached the automated secretarial service of the galaxy-famous Collector. If you are interested in public tours, be prepared to pay the accompanying fee. The collections include…_The voice continued listing names and items that meant little to the ancient pharaoh. "Does anyone else think it strange we're doing a rescue mission through a phone?" Joey asked, stifling a yawn. _And many other recent acquired articles. Please be aware that private showcases are available to special invites and business associates only. If you wish to arrange a personal meeting, press one now._ Yami's expression quirked slightly in surprise, the phone letting out a mechanical beep at his touch of the button. _Please wait for the requested transport, _came the response. Confusion flickered across his face.

"Oh no! Hey man, lookout!" Tristan's voice sounded in his other ear. He turned, his hand holding the phone dropping to his side at what he beheld. A shadow, like the one the evening before, the one that had stolen his friend, had appeared, reaching menacingly for him. From the vicinity of his thigh, the mechanical voice said, _Our sensors show the transport has arrived. Please allow our associate to facilitate your arrival. _The gang let out a shocked yell as the shadow encircled him, dissolving in the growing light, and leaving an empty square of cement where he had stood.

"Pharaoh!" Their combined cries echoed in the concrete canyon. "Now they're both gone," said Téa.

The shadow materialized in an unfamiliar room, its form fading to leave the blue-purple-clad figure of Yami standing bemusedly, anger rising in him at his ignorance of what was going on and his hopefully-temporary inability to save Yugi. Pale walls of textured taupe suffused the room with an odd pallor, the still silence slightly unnerving as his gained his bearings. Turning slowly, he surveyed the sparse decorative paintings while he waited for someone to respond to his presence. Coming full circle, he saw an obese man standing in a brightly lit doorway where a bare stretch of wall had been. Yami remained as he was, outwardly composed and exuding regal grace. Inside, his heart beat a concealed tattoo against his chest, his surprise fighting to show.

"Ah, so it is you. Pharaoh Yami wasn't it? I had a feeling I might be seeing you. How can the Collector help you? And I am sorry about the fright I must have given you last night. I try to avoid alienating those who have helped me, but I could find no other way to conduct the trade." The man spoke with a caring haughtiness, like that of a rich benefactor to a mid status worker.

"I see no problem with conducting your 'business'in _person_. But that is not the reason for my visit." Yami's voice carried a razor's edge, honed by his simmering anger, the tone serious and accusing.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, I see. You wish to discuss business. That, too, is not unexpected. But first I must show you around. It is customary for the host to extend a measure of, ah, hospitality to his guest. Come, I'll take you to my first room of treasures."

Yami's eyes narrowed dangerously. He had never come across a man quite like this before. "I promise you that won't be necessary. We can discuss it now, I'm not in a mood to wait."

"Oh, but I insist. I do business with no one without extending the proper respect expected of me." The Collector lugged his gaudily-robed way back toward the door to the waiting room. He turned, a glint in his eye as he looked at the pharaoh over his mounded shoulder. "Besides, it gives the nerves a chance to calm a little." And in his voice was barely concealed a knife's edge as well. Yami kept his anger and worry in check, and followed the swishing gold robe into the next room. Little else was possible.

He trailed behind impatiently as he was shown from room to room. His 'host's' disposition was once more cheery as he waxed eloquent about everything from his delicately carved china table sets to his collection of sculpted stone animals. Priceless artifacts of breathtaking beauty, even in his worried state, pieces grotesque but rare, everything imaginable, it seemed he collected it all. The tour slowly ground to an end in a room full of strange and unfamiliar animals.

A parrot-like bird of violet plumage cocked its head beside him. In its beak it twirled a dark tail feather. "So you've noticed my oracle tern. He's the last remaining male of his breed, with the capacity not only to know events, but also to communicate them. Quite a find, an animal capable of sentient speech. And it seems he's taken a liking to you. There are very few he trusts, knowing all there is and all." The oracle tern shuffled his feathers, then hopped onto Yami's shoulder, a fine golden chain dangling between his foot and his perch. He sniffed at the reddish hair, then nuzzled his neck and returned to his post, leaving the feather stuck in his spiky locks. Yami removed it, stroking the soft plume before placing it in his pocket.

"Well, that concludes the tour of my humble abode. At least, the parts of it I'm willing to show you at the moment. If you would follow me, we can discuss this, ah, _pressing _business of yours in the conference room." The room they entered was walled in turquoise tanks of exotic fish, tinted light filtering in through the glass and reflecting off the crystal table and chair in the center of the floor. Minute rainbows dusted the chamber, giving the room a feel of calm serenity in sharp contrast to the sudden seriousness Yami felt at the return to the crux of the matter. "Please, my dear pharaoh, do tell of the reason for your visit to my home."

"You have someone very dear to me. He was taken by a creature twin to the shadow that brought me here by your command. Release him." His demand echoed off the shining glass.

"No." The simple, careless statement resounded every bit as much as his.

"No! You stole him away, without warning or explanation. You have no right to hold him here! Let Yugi go!"

"I believe you saw the papyrus, the written receipt of our transaction? You dare to insinuate I _stole? _Or perhaps you mean to say what you received is in some way not what it should be? Galactic law requires only that a spoken proposition be made and no objection voiced for a verbal contract to be binding. You heard my words, as you responded, but not one word of protest did you say. I offered a lawful trade to the one in possession of the object I desired, the boy. By law, I am in the right, and can have you forcibly removed from these premises."

"You twist the words of your law. You are nothing more than a greedy child with a legal loophole, knowing full well of my ignorance of your intent. A twist of words and a cowardly theft are all that shield you from your laws, but that doesn't protect you from me."

"Perhaps. Since you seem to feel cheated, why don't I allow you one chance to regain what you claim you've lost. Not only _a_ chance, but a game _of_ chance. I could use a little bit of fun. You won't even have to put in a stake, but may enter for free."

His voice harsh with suspicion, Yami replied, "First tell me what you want with him."

"Very well, I will explain as we head to the Gaming room for our little showdown. I believe you will have quite a surprise when we arrive." The thread dragons across his middle contorted with waves of suppressed mirth as he swept off for the golden walled room.

* * *

Authors Note: The bird's kinda tacky I know, and Yes I know that Terns don't look like that, but come on, he's in a different part of the galaxy! Maybe Terns do look like that where he comes from. Plus, I just like the way Tern sounds.


	4. Chapter 4 Of Dice and Men

Author's Note: Hey, thanks to all you who have been reading this so soon. And thanks for the admission to the C2, I promise I won't let you down by adding any yaoi, after all, it is a Yaoi free list! Well,it's time to play a game. It's called: Find the Star Wars Reference! I've hidden one in here somewhere. I'll tell you where after the story!

* * *

Chapter 4

Of Dice and Men

The doors in front of them opened to reveal a large room, a long corridor described down its middle by two clear panes of glass. In the center of the corridor stood a lone wooden table, simple, finely crafted, and conspicuously ordinary in comparison to everything else that Yami had seen since arriving in the palatial home.

"Unremarkable, yes," the Collector said, following his gaze, "but priceless in the hidden memories it holds within." He walked over to the opposite side of the table, gesturing for his guest to do the same. "Our game shall be a game of dice. As for the stakes…"

The strange shadow appeared again in front of Yugi, relieving his boredom, but making him uneasy as well. What could it want? He realized that once more it clutched the golden chain that held him in its shapeless hands. With sudden realization, he braced himself for its cold touch, as the darkness wrapped once more around him for its black transportation.

"As for the stakes, I promised you would need offer nothing to participate. After all, it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding. For my side however, I offer that in question, which we both desire and neither is willing to give up." The Collector pointed toward the glass pane on his right, where mountains of gold, silver, and jewels rested inside a walled off area. The candles lighting the room lit up their surfaces and cast dark jagged shadows beneath each individual piece. On the coin-strewn floor, the shadows melded together to become one, seeming nearly alive. The darkness appeared to rise from the ground, and Yami saw that it _was_ alive, another of the shadows he had twice already encountered. It resolved into its usual shape, then dispersed, leaving behind a glittering ivory and brown figure with familiar red and gold hair kneeling on the floor.

"Yugi!" His head lifted from his chest at the sound of a familiar voice. "Pharaoh!" he cried, the sound muffled behind the glass. Yami stood to rush over to him.

"Sit!" The command came, imperious and demanding, clearly expecting to be obeyed. "You forfeit the match and any claim to the prize if you leave this table."

"Is that why he is dressed this way? Because his nothing more to you than a prize to display and show off to others?" The hard edge came back into Yami's voice, cold and harsh, and he lowered himself back into the wooden seat.

"Why, yes, of course. What else? What is he to you?" A malicious smile parted his lips.

Eyes narrowed and body stiff, Yami replied, "A friend, partner, and companion. I won't allow you to take that away, to spirit him away through clever words and twisted games."

"Oh, but the law will. My 'clever words' fall under its protection. And you in fact _have_ allowed my 'twisted games.' We are playing one now, are we not?"

"Only because you left me no choice!" Yami gripped the table's edge, his knuckles turning white.

"Well, then. If we are indeed playing, then let the game begin!" Yami glanced over at Yugi, kneeling next to the glass, golden leash pulled taut, his hands pressed against its surface, the bracelets straining against each other even though they were only shoulder-width apart. "Fine. If we must."

A light shone down from the ceiling illuminating an irregular circle between the two players. The Collector's hands emerged from his cavernous sleeves. He leaned forward onto his left elbow, his right extending into the light and showing a pair of carved dice, inked spots forming the pips on each side. "We'll play with these. A simple game, so there can be dispute." Yami watched him carefully. "The rules aren't difficult. We each will take turns rolling, once each turn. The object is easy. If your role matches the one before it, you receive a point. That's all. The first to 5 points wins. What do you say? Do you agree to these terms?"

Yami saw no other option he could do, and there seemed little way his opponent could cheat. "I accept."

"As the challenger, you may go first." The Collector pushed the dice across the table towards him. Yami grabbed them, his only reply an angry _Hmmph!_ He pulled his arm back, his fist by his chin and shoulder, then threw the dice, casting them down the table and once more into the light. They tumbled and clattered along the grain, spinning and clacking before falling still to show a two and a four. "A six. My turn." And the Collector's bejeweled fingers delicately picked up the dice. He cast as well, the first one landing a four, the other revolving a moment before falling as a two. A horrible grin bloomed on his face as he inspected the roll.

"My, my, what a coincidence. It seems I rolled a six as well." Yami frowned, suddenly suspicious. "That's a point for me. Your roll."

"No way! He had the exact same roll!" Yugi stared from behind his gilt and glass prison. Worry and concern marked his voice. He watched helplessly as his friend grabbed the dice once more, tossing them upon the table and again rolling a two and a four. "It can't be. The dice must be weighted. But why? Now the pharaoh's got a point too!" The dice once more were thrown by Yami's opponent, and once more delivered a two and four, chalking up another point for his captor.

"Well, well, it's the end of round 2 already. And the score stands at you 1, me 2. This is fun. As a collector of the unique, I can tell you there's nothing quite like the thrill of victory, or at least impending victory. And it's an emotion, so I can experience the unique again and again. Really, it's quite odd and satisfying," the Collector said, casting words leisurely at his guest. Yugi watched worriedly the unfolding events, trying to figure out his plan. _Why would he play with weighted dice, then choose a game where they give his opponent points as well? It doesn't make sense._ The pharaoh reached again for the dice as he thought, his scowl deep and menacing. A round of sixes went by, the score now 2:3 against him. _I bet he's already figured out his scheme. But what is it? At the end of each turn, the Collector earns a point, and the pharaoh another at the beginning of the next. Wait a minute, that's it! They may be gaining points at the same rate, but he's always one point behind. The pharaoh won't reach 5 until the beginning of the _6th _round, right after the Collector gets 5 at the end of the _5th_! Oh no!_

The game was over less than a minute later. "It appears I won. Good game, very close." The Collector pushed back from the table, the light dying and the chair scraping, as he stood.

"It was not, the game was not fair!" Yami stood as well, stalking around the table to confront his flabby form.

"Oh, but it was. _You_ agreed to the game, and I supplied the dice. I assure you, they are not weighted in any way. Remember, I am the Collector, amasser of rare and interesting artifacts. These," he proffered the dice, "came from a small town on a primitive planet. In the quantity dice are produced, eventually the improbable would happen; a set that always rolls the same numbers, without weight. Unbelievable, sure, but you just witnessed the proof. Perhaps that is why they are known as the Improbability Dice."

"More twisted deceit and dodging. This game was invalid. Now release Yugi!"

"Don't you dare assume as to tell what to do with my property. I have won him lawfully, and I shall be leaving now with my winnings." He turned and headed out a door in the back of the room.

"He's NOT your prop-," Yami stopped short as the shadow once more appeared beside Yugi, extending itself around him. "YUGI!" He ran over as close as he could get, the glass an impenetrable barrier between them.

"Pharaoh! Help!" Yugi struggled against the darkness enclosing him, his voice cutting off as it disappeared again into the ground.

"What have you done to him!" Yami demanded, whirling to face the Collector, who was nearing the door.

"Nothing. Are you worried I will harm him? No, no, it would be foolish to harm such a wonderful addition to my collection. Besides, some important visitors are coming tomorrow to view my new acquisitions. I've simply transported him to a safe place for the night with one of my shadow creature servants."

"Shadow creature? You mean to say you have shadow powers?"

"Ah, so you've heard of them. Yes, I do have shadow powers, but not naturally. I acquired them through a game of dejarik, but as they are artificially inside me, I can only use them as helpful transportation and messengers. But I really must be leaving. You shouldn't have upset me earlier, it's making me unwilling to show you out. I'm sure you remember how to get to the bestiary. You'll find a transport waiting for you there." And with that, he swept through the doorway, leaving the pharaoh alone except for his anger.

Once he had found his way to the bestiary, Yami leaned against a wall, his anger flowing into its cold surface, leaving him exhausted. A single tear of frustration fell down his cheek, purple eyes sparkling with moisture. Another shadow stood in a corner, waiting for him to approach to take back home. He was unsure what to do next.

"_Your friend…_" a high voice squeaked beside him. Yami looked over, seeing the purple parrot-like bird from before. It reached out its beak, snuffling the tip of its feather sticking out of his pocket. "_He was…your friend?_"

"What?" He stood the staring in confusion at the well-spoken bird.

"_He pet me, it felt nice. You smell like him. Are you trying to help?_" Yami searched his memories for what the Collector had said about this bird. He had called it an Oracle Tern.

"You can help me? How?" The bird rustled its feathers a moment, shifting from claw to claw before climbing his shirtsleeve to his shoulder. From his new perch, he responded.

"_It is what I do. I know much, more when I care. He was kind, even in the midst of his own dilemma. You still have another chance. Make an appointment._"

"What?" The statement caught Yami off guard, more than slightly confusing him.

"_Make an appointment to see him. Tell the secretary you are a business associate, and he will afford you the V.I.P. privileges you need. It will be a few days before you may get in, but the Owner always sees his appointments. He never tells his secretary about his life, so you needn't worry he won't let you in."_

"A few days?" said Yami, dazed by the odd circumstances around him. "I can't leave him here for a few days."

"_He will be alright, I know. Go now, and don't forget my words." _The bird gently nibbled his ear affectionately, then returned to the post he was chained to.

Joey, Tristan, and Téa sat on a concrete bench across the street from where the pharaoh had vanished, discussing worriedly what had happened that morning. The afternoon sun shone harsh in their eyes, making the shadows waver. One close to them seemed almost to be cast by a man, yet no one was there. Téa watched it uncertainly as it shimmered, then resolved itself into Yami.

"Pharaoh!" she shouted, rushing over to him as the guys looked up. She could tell by his expression that Yugi was still not with him. "What happened?"

"Much. But right now, Téa, I need to borrow your phone." The three gathered around his disgruntled and disheveled figure.

"Sure. But why?" she asked, handing over the pink phone.

"I need to make an appointment with someone." And with that, he left them to stand there, confused and bursting with questions, as he dialed.

* * *

So, did you find it? The Star Wars reference. Well, you'd have to be a big fan to see it. The game that the Collector won his shadow powers in, dejarik, is actually a game played in Star Wars, the one they play on the Millenium Falcon (OHHH, a new item fan fic possibility! jk). It has the holgraphic monsters on the play board and the famous line "Let the Wookiee win." Well, I babbled quite a bit there, but I've got a favor to ask of all you fans. Later on, there is, of course, going to be a Duel Monsters match. But I don't know how it should go. Oh I know the rules and everything, from the show and watching my friends play, but that doesn't mean I can script an interesting one. So, if you'd like to help, post some ideas, either for Yami's turn or his opponent. IfI use it, I promise I'll give you credit!Thanks!

Oh, and if you're looking for something new to try, try these two stories: Treasured Memories, a Kingdom Hearts fic, or Almost Interchangable, another Yu-Gi-Oh! fic. They're written by my sister, Evil Midget Turtle, and our styles are a lot alike. So check 'em out.

See you in Chapter 5: Waiting for Rescue!


	5. Chapter 5 Waiting for Rescue

Chapter 5

Waiting for Rescue

Yugi woke slowly, the second night in the Treasure Room coming to an end. No windows marked the walls of his rich prison, the only light coming from a single candle set in the wall, burned low during the night, that cast gold tinged shadows from the collected items throughout the room. He assumed it was morning, but with no sun to gauge by, he couldn't tell. He lay still, curled upon the soft cushion that was now to be his home for who knew how long. The pharaoh had lost the game, and been forced to leave, but that didn't mean he would give up. Did it? The glow of artificial lights flared up all over the room, causing Yugi to shield his eyes and flinch away.

"Good morning, my pet," came the pompous voice he was beginning to loathe. "I have a few friends coming over in a few minutes for a little private viewing. I just wanted to make sure everything is ready and that you are fed." The Collector stepped from behind the contours of a curved statue and placed a porcelain plate of sweet bread and a laden bowl of fruit before him, then he retreated once more to wherever it was that he went when Yugi was left alone. He sat up and took a bite of the bread resignedly, staring at the figure of the mounted head that had caused all his problems. _He called me his 'pet.' The way he treats me, he's right; that was just like someone feeding a cat its morning meal before leaving for work._

A short while later, the Collector's rotund form emerged again into the room, a host of people trailing in behind. All wore jocular faces and sported crystal glasses of amber, burgundy, or golden liquid, despite the early hour. Each wore clothes as obviously expensive as the Collector's, though most were more tasteful. They milled about, talking and joking, some already seeming a bit tipsy. He watched curiously, glad for the respite from his boredom. One man approached their host, a hand slipped inside his coat pocket.

"As is often proper, I have brought a gift for the host. My men took it off a former business associate who…well, he won't be needing it anymore." He presented a necklace of braided white and yellow gold weeping a tear of blood red ruby. "I believe it to be of a set to which you possess the other."

"Yes, yes, I do. In fact, it's just over there." He waved his hand in the general direction of Yugi.

"Speaking of pairs, at our last 'get-together,' you showed us quite an ugly, but impressive piece, the head of that creature of darkness. I seem to remember a little bet we had. Did you find the matching piece?"

"Of course. And it's with my newly completed pair of necklaces. Little Yugi, come here, won't you?" he beckoned, crooking a chubby sausage finger. Yugi remained where he was, looking helplessly at him. "I said, come, boy!"

"Disobedient, isn't he? Not what you'd expect from the 'purest light in the galaxy. Maybe you just grabbed this cute little thing win the bet," purred a lady in a tight black gown.

"No, perhaps I was a bit harsh. Please, dear boy, come over and join us."

"I can't," he replied meekly, acutely aware of all the people staring at him.

"Why not?" Yugi held up the golden tether holding him next to the golden throne, yanking against its secure anchoring in demonstration. "Oh yes. Here," he snapped his fingers, the pudge lolling around with the sharp movement. "Now you may come." The chain fell free in his hands, dangling around his ankles, though the one about his wrists remained fastened. He trudged over, unwilling to upset him now that he had seen the kind of company he kept, and took up a place at the Collector's side.

A man with salt and pepper hair and stuffy formal suit of drab grey looked down on him from his 6 and half-foot height. "Well, it appears you have indeed won. It has the purest white aura I've ever beheld." He took a fat wallet from his crisp pants pocket, and handed over a large roll of bills with good grace.

"I'm not an it." Yugi said, staring up into the man's astonished eyes.

"Heh, it appears even the pure light can have an attitude." The other partygoers had gathered around now, watching the scene unfold.

"Hold your tongue, boy." The Collector shot a piercing look down at him warningly.

"No, no, that's quite all right. What's the point of having a pet if you punish them every time their ignorance runs them afoul of you? Besides, it was cute. He just wants to be called by his name. Do you have one? Did our friend give one to you yet?" The salt and pepper man bent down to Yugi's level, talking as he might to someone's new puppy.

"I'm Yugi Moto, and he didn't give to me. My _parents_ did." He could tell he went to far by the Collector's expression. The man grabbed the chain around his neck, not quite hiding his anger and headed for the nearest exit. Yugi had to follow as he pulled against the leather collar.

"Excuse me, but the boy is still agitated from the journey here. I'm sure you know how it is. I'll just put him another room so we can talk of more adult matters." A stained oak door slammed shut behind them as he finished. He yanked savagely upon the gold, dragging him the entire distance to the bestiary, the room where he had first woken up in the strange house. The Collector threw him inside and latched down the leash, cinching it tight so he could only sit.

"You have embarrassed me. The people have come to see my angel, my purity, and that's what you are going to show them from now on. Otherwise, it'll be long nights just like this, over and over again. I expect you to ready tomorrow, I have other guests to see you."

"I hope they enjoy it, because I won't be here long," he shouted at the retreating back as the Collector left the room.

"And I hope you give up that silly hope. Because if you are counting on that pharaoh friend of yours to break you out, you shouldn't. There is no possible way he can find his way back here, and my 'transportation services' are given to appointments only. Oh, well, I guess that just means you'll have to learn to like it here. Besides, if that meddling fool does somehow find a way to interfere, he's easily taken care of. After all, I believe your Egypt had many pharaohs, so it really wouldn't be a shame if one more were lost, now would it?" His evil smile lingered in the room even after he had left.

Yugi stretched out sullenly, trying to get comfortable on the cold, bare concrete floor. He felt more like a dog being punished then Joey ever had after Kaiba's comments and Duke's digs. The violet bird from before hopped down from its perch and cuddled in close against his chest. "I'm sorry, I lost the feather you gave me," he said, stroking its soft plumage in the golden light. Then he resigned himself to a long wait, occupying himself with silent word games in his head.

The morning of the next day finally came, after Yugi had won nearly 200 different games against himself. The bird stirred on his breast, stretching its wings up and down before flying off to his perch. "_He comes,_" it said, preening delicately under a claw.

"Huh?" Yugi responded articulately.

"_Have hope. He comes."_ As he finished, the door in the wall slid back to admit to Collector, his good humor restored after a comfortable night's rest. He took him back to the Treasure Room, and the next twp days passed by as a blur of shady characters and ill reputable guests. He sat upon the cushion, dutifully doing as the Collector asked, all the while thinking of his friends and his home.

* * *

Wednesday came cold and grey, the fun of the winter holiday lost on the four as they waited in Joey's apartment. It had been three days since the pharaoh had returned from the Collector's mysterious home. A silence as cold as the weather hung over them as their waiting drew to a close.

"Its almost time. Maybe someone should go tell him. Y'know, in case he needs to get ready to go."

"I'm pretty sure he knows, Joey." The pharaoh was sitting in a lonely chair by the snow frosted, foggy window. He had stayed off by himself, absorbed in his thoughts and worries, since he had come back Saturday evening. They had taken turns housing him, trying their best to keep him away from Grampa Moto, afraid he would notice the change in his grandson. The last thing they wanted right now was a lot of awkward questions. No one had wanted to bother him, his frown and intense concentration while he prepared his duel deck saying it wouldn't be a good idea. But now the time of his appointment was near, so Téa cautiously approached him.

"Um…Pharaoh?" she said querulously.

"He's been with that madman for three days, and all I could do was sit passively by. I've saved the world from so many evil men, so why can't I save him?" His amethyst gaze glassy, he stared unseeing into the depths of the puzzle around his neck.

"You can, I know you can. It's like you tell everyone else; just believe in yourself, and Yugi." A sudden fire flared in his eyes as a resolve was reached, then their violet glow shone with icy determination.

"Thank you, Téa. The time is almost here, and there are some things I need to prepare before I leave." A few minutes later, the quartet left the room, heading for the Kame Game Shop. "I'll need you three to give me some cover."

"Right." And with that, they pushed open the door of the colorful store.

"Oh, hello, Yugi. You've been gone a while. Hello, Téa, Joey, Tristan." Grampa's laughing, gravelly voice greeted them from behind the shop counter.

"Hey, Gramps, how ya been? Say, what's this?" Tristan plowed his way straight in front of the old man, pointing at some new trinket or game displayed on the shelves, keeping Yami from having to answer in his noticeable deeper voice and distracting Grampa's attention away from his added height and extra blonde spikes. The pharaoh snuck up the stairs to Yugi's room, doing his best to remain quiet. His friend's voices carried up the stairs as he grabbed some items he thought might come in handy against his wily opponent. Then, creeping back downstairs, joined back up with the other three.

"Well, we've got to go, Mr. Moto. We're going to be late for the movie." Téa flashed him a disarming smile as she hustled Yami toward the door.

Outside, Joey asked, "Movie? What movie?"

"I had to say something to explain where we were going in such a rush. Jeeze," she responded in a huffy tone. "Did you get everything, Pharaoh?"

"Yes. And now it's time to get this over with." They rounded a concrete corner, finding themselves where they had first attempted to reach the Collector. "11:00 was the appointed time. It should be here for me soon."

As he spoke, his shadow wavered, seeming to grow darker and blacker. The edges fuzzed, the slowly peeled away from the sidewalk. In a matter of seconds, the darkness enveloped Yami and disappeared back into the earth.

"Good luck, Pharaoh. You're gonna need it." Joey stared at the shadowed crack in the sidewalk, as if it could convey his words across the distance to his friend, wherever he was.

* * *

AN: Hey, howya doing? I know, a bit of a strange chapter, but the next one will start the fun stuff. Just a reminder, it would be a lot of help to me if you could post ideas for a duel monsters match. Needless to say, there will be one starting in Chapter 7, but whether our friend the pharaoh wins or loses... well, thats for me to know and you to find out. It might be a while before I post chapter 7, after of course, I get chap 6 up, which will be soon, but it might go faster if you lend a helping hand! If you don't thats fine, I'll do without, since it is my fic, just don't complain if it sucks compared to the TV show or manga, please!

I know, I know, I need to work on my self-confidence!

See you in Chapter 6: Risky Rematch!


	6. Chapter 6 Risky Rematch

**AN:** Thank you for reviewing if you have, it's nice to know it is being read. Sorry I haven't posted recently, I found a really good, _really_ long fic called Court of Souls that I couldn't help reading until it was done. I'm still not through yet and I've been reading it nonstop except for school and sleep since Sunday! If you're wondering it's by Rem-chan and is a Kingdom Hearts fic with lots of Yu-Gi-Oh, Ranma 1/2, and many other animes mixed in. Anyway, I've had this one typed up for a while so I thought I'd finally get around to posting it, even if I haven't checked it for typos yet!

Chapter 6

Risky Rematch

The fourth day of his captivity began as the last three had, an electric sunrise lighting the windowless room, a cold if fancy meal, and a short period of quiet before the guests arrived. Yugi marveled the Collector found time to actually do any collecting when he seemed to spend every minute entertaining, eating, drinking, and gaming. But he was a devious man, and Yugi was sure every shred of information divulged from liquor loosened tongues was being stored away safely for future use.

Sometime during the course of the past few days, his corpulent captor had stopped asking him about his 'previous owner.' It seemed that according to the galactic rules he twisted daily, since the pharaoh had control over him, he was legally his 'owner,' as he now had control over his main corporeal self, his body. For awhile, Yugi had hoped these questions had meant that the Collector still considered Yami a potential threat. But as the inquiries died away, this hope died away, leaving him with the sinking feeling it had been merely a way to sate his curiosity. The familiar indistinct forms of the many stuffy guests milled by, and he pulled himself further into the depths of the cushion to avoid the women's sweeping hems.

A chime of glass caught Yugi's attention, and, looking up, he saw the Collector delicately tapping the edge of a dessert fork against his crystal decanter. "It seems my secretary has once again made an appointment without consulting me. Rather rude of my unknown guest not to at least alert me of his request, but I make it a point never to turn away appointments. One never can know what priceless items a stranger might part with." The assembled bubbled with polite laughter at their hosts demeaning joke. "Let's bring him in shall we? Perhaps an audience might make him a bit more loose with his goods." The black shape of his shadow creature arose from the floor to sink into it once more. "He'll return with our little entrepreneur soon enough."

Curious, Yugi waited as the party gathered near the sides of the room, leaving the main aisleway free, its length lined by priceless pieces atop pedestals. It was apparent this sort of thing had happened before. Soon, a dark shadow appeared under the doorway to the room. "Ah, and here is our guest now." The doors swung open at his words, a greedy smile on his face, and the room gazed upon the silhouetted form they revealed. The visitor stood in the halls shadows, concealing his identity.

"Do, come in. We can have introductions," said the Collector from his new position upon his throne, right beside Yugi.

"Have you forgotten me already? Never a wise move to dismiss your greatest opponent." The deep, confident voice startled Yugi. Was he imagining things? It couldn't be, it just couldn't.

"Who are you to dare speak to me in that way?" the Collector demanded, his bloated face splotched red with anger.

A purple-clad figure stepped with regal grace into the room's light. "I believe you know my name, as you have addressed me before. Does the title Pharaoh mean anything to you?"

"Pharaoh! You're here!" Yugi stood to run over to his counterpart, but a vicious tug on the golden chain about his neck sent him crashing once more to the floor, unable to break his fall with the linked bracelets on about his hands. The Collector savagely tightened the shining tether until once more he was forced to remain on the floor, nearly crouching over even when he sat. He rubbed his neck painfully.

"How did you know I would let you in this way?" snapped the Collector, glaring at Yami's dangerously narrowed eyes.

"Let's just say a birdie told me," he replied coldly, fingering the dark end of a feather protruding from his pocket.

"I have no further business with you. As is allowed by law, I can forcibly evict you from the premises. In fact, I think we all just witnessed you attack me." The Collector said, spinning the evil lie into the air. "I had to defend myself. A pity you died in the struggle." The doors' shadows sprang to life simultaneously to a small flash from a golden item concealed in Yami's palm. They reached out to attack, somehow seeming even more sinister than they ever had before.

"No! Pharaoh, look out!" But Yugi's cry was unnecessary. A second brighter flash flared from the puzzle, momentarily blinding everyone in the room. As their sight returned, they watched while the shadow writhed in the brilliant light. In a matter of seconds, the shadow had vanished, torn to shreds under the intense barrage.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that again. The same thing would happen, and would only succeed in sapping you of your strength. But if you wish to weaken yourself before we settle this, by all means, continue." Yami stood defiantly, exactly as he had been before the attack. It was obvious that this time he would not be intimidated nor easily tricked.

"You forget I am protected by our laws. Even if I can't touch you, neither can you touch me. If you try, I can have an enforced restraining order against you in place so fast, you would not know what had happened before you found yourself in prison."

"But I doubt you will." The tone of his voice sounded confident and sure, and Yugi knew that he had something up his sleeve.

"And why is that? I believe I know myself better than you. And I think I will."

"Aren't you even curious about how I knew your attack was coming? Or how I defeated it so easily?" The heads of the guests against the wall looked back and forth, moving to and fro, from speaker to speaker, as if they were at a tennis match.

"That is of no concern to you. It has no bearing on our relationship."

"Oh, but it does," Yami lifted his hand with the concealed item, "I propose a rematch, a game. Just as our last match, if I win, you will let Yugi go free."

"And why should I accept? I already have what I desire, and thus far you have offered no incentive for me to risk it."

"Because I will stake this as my wager." His raised hand opened, revealing a glittering golden item. Yugi stared in surprise. "It's called the Millennium Necklace. This is part of what I used to thwart your shadow. It has the power to perceive possible futures." Seeing his opponent's skeptical and irritated expression, Yami continued on a different tack. "You might also be interested to know it is part of a set of 7 items, one of which now hangs about my neck." A sudden greedy glint in the Collector's eye told Yami he had him hooked. "IF you win," his voice hardened, "you get them both."

"No! You can't, Pharaoh! I can't let you risk that for me." Yugi shouted. Yami's look at him was gentle but firm, and it seemed to say _Trust me._ The Collector's gaze down at him was different, thoughtful and greedy.

"Well, well. If it gets him _that_ upset, these _items_ must really be remarkable. I think I'll take your wager, purely so I can watch you meddling face when you lose even more than you've lost now." Standing up, his fat rolling beneath the black shirt, the Collector started for a door in the back of the room. "You know the way to the Gaming Room. We'll have our rematch there. My party and I will meet you there. You'll forgive me if I don't trust you."

"Believe me, its mutual. I'll see you there, Yugi, I promise." He smiled warmly at him, then turned and exited to room, seeming more in charge than the Collector himself.

"Don't get your hopes up," sneered the Collector as his shady entourage filled out of the back door, "I wouldn't want to see them crushed when I destroy your frustrating friend."

Yami was waiting at the far end of the glass corridor when they arrived. His apparently quicker travel in the Collector's own house seemed to unsettle him slightly. This time the room was empty, the light from before casting an irregular circle of brilliance onto the blue-veined marble floor. One guest, a man in roguish garb reminiscent of Han Solo, escorted Yugi roughly into the glass room once more, anchoring him down.

"Keep your side of the bargain. The items go to the pot." Yami nodded, holding aloft the necklace and puzzle. A shadow cautiously approached, moving in an unthreatening way to avoid its destruction by his hands. It grasped the golden pieces and melted to the floor, sliding across its smooth reflective surface and under the glass to coalesce beside Yugi. The items were deposited at his feet before it disappeared. He picked up the items he had worked hard to collect, holding them tightly against himself. "My thanks for your compliance," mocked the Collector, his attempt to cut the pharaoh down to size falling dead. The air seemed to come alive with electricity and heat as the two stared each other down. A long moment passed in a tense, pregnant silence before the Collector cracked.

"Let us begin. I've got other pressing matters to attend to that are much more important than you."

"I wouldn't say that. This promises to be interesting for your little cronies." Yami smiled at the indignation on their faces. "It's the duel of their lifetime; the Collector versus the King of Games." The Collector spluttered and fumbled visibly, his composure ruined by the statement.

"K…King of Games? But that name is famous even out here!" Yami merely seemed politely curious, betraying none of the surprise Yugi knew he must have felt at this revelation. "You, boy! Why didn't you tell me of this when I asked about him earlier?"

Yugi looked at him, his face bright with false innocence. "You never asked." He laughed a small giggle. "I guess it just slipped my mind because I'm so used to everyone calling us that anymore!" He turned his smile upon Yami, and say a little of his tension melt away.

Scowling into the crevices of his multiple chins, the Collector collected himself. "Since you have issued the challenge, I'll decide the manner of the games we shall play." He spoke forcefully, attempting to regain his control of the situation. "We will make it three-part contest of wits. The first to win two challenges will be named the victor."

"I accept." Yami said simply. He didn't think the Collector was aware that his very life now hung on this game, besides Yugi's freedom. If he had known that the loss of the puzzle meant the gradual and agonizing deterioration of his spirit from this world, the pharaoh was sure he would have been much more cocky and assured.

"Good. The set up is this: Each round will test a facet of our wit and will to see who truly is the best. At the beginning of a round, first you, then me, then one of my distinguished guests, in an attempt at fairness, will choose one attribute and the game by which to test it. Understood?'

"Perfectly."

"As I said, you will go first. What pitiful piece of your mind do you think can defeat mine?" The Collector leaned forward, spreading his hands in a mock questioning gesture.

"Let's see how strategically that twisted mind of yours can think," said Yami darkly.

"The game?"

"A collectable game. You should like it. It's called Duel Monsters."

* * *

**AN:** In case you can't tell, this means next chapter will have a duel. But no one's helped me out yet! It won't be posted until I'm satisfied that it has at least marginally the same quality as before. Oh God it's gonna reek! Just hold through the duel, and try not to yell in frustration if I get any rules or techniques wrong. Just think of them as...plot device! Yeah, that's it! Anyway, hope to get it done before too long, then I can move on to the other two challenges, which _I'm_ going to have a challenge writing too!

Oh, and Yamiace, the Collector won't give up, that wouldn't be interesting at all. I like to have a little more drama and suspence than that! Just wait because I think you might like the little surprise I'm going to put in in the end!

See you in the next chapter: Chapter 7 Let the Games Begin!


	7. Chapter 7 Let the Games Begin!

AN: Well, it's been, what, one, two weeks? Sorry, I had a Calc test I really didn't want to bomb and then I got sick. Better now though! Yea! Anyway, I've made up for it by getting two chapters done! And if you'd like to see the Collector squirm a little, then just read on! Oh, and thank you all for your nice comments and encouragement! It really helps to get the creative juices flowing!

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Chapter 7

Let the Games Begin

From behind the transparent barrier of glass, Yugi watched his closest friend. Yami raised his left arm in a smooth, graceful arc, then thrust his elbow down to activate the duel disk he had just slipped on. The two halves left their withdrawn positions on either side of the center disk, swinging around to meet above his wrist, then sliding back as a piece to lay nearly parallel to his arm. He unhooked the top of their studded cardholder, hanging from a loose belt about his waist like a modern cowboy's holster. _Draw!_ Yugi thought to himself, stifling the giggle aroused from the nervous comment as he remembered the serious scene. During the whole process, his indigo eyes remained riveted on his opponent. Yugi could feel his slight apprehension through his contact with the puzzle, but was unable to share his thoughts now that they were separated. The pharaoh, he was sure, though, was aware it was unlikely this man was too good at Duel Monsters, but still, he was right to be cautious. It was never a good idea to underestimate an opponent, as they themselves had shown many times. But then again, maybe he hadn't even heard of the game, or didn't know how to play. Could Pegasus' card game truly be _that_ popular?

"I'm waiting, _Collector_. Where is your duel disk? Have you rethought this match and wish to forfeit, or could it truly be there is something you actually do not own? It's such a common item back home, thanks to Kaiba, and you don't have one? It is a good thing I came prepared, then, for I just happen to have one for you. On loan from my close friend Joey." Yami mocked the heavy man across from him, recalling Joey's reluctance to let him use it before reminding him it might help to save Yugi. He pulled the second disk out from the satchel Yugi used for school, which he had left in the hall at their earlier confrontation, but now had beside him. The duel disk spun lazily in the air as he tossed it Frisbee-like toward him. A lady in a dark green, skintight jumpsuit stepped forward, catching the revolving projectile deftly. She handed it to the Collector with an assassin's grace, then retreated once more to the shadows against the wall.

"Thank you, Mari. As you can see, my dear _Pharaoh,_" he made the title sound like an insult, in much the same way as Marik and Bakura had, "It is dangerous company I keep. It would not be wise to attempt to cross me before this is through." He nodded in the direction of the lady assassin, barely visible in her chosen position. "Your foresight is admirable, though laughable in the face of certain defeat. I would not be so cocky as to think you might win. Remember, even if you do somehow manage to win this challenge, Mr. King of Games, there are still two more to contend with."

"Let's get started then. After all, I'm sure Yugi is anxious to be on his way home, as am I." Yami said, withdrawing his deck from the leather pouch at his hip and placing it in its customary slot, the duel disk's lights flaring to life. The projectors now resting in the corners of the corridors flashed with rainbow brilliance, awaiting their time to project the holographic images. The Collector repeated the motion, activating the disk now pressed tightly against his mass of flesh.

"_LET'S DUEL!" _they shouted in unison, and the life point counters appeared, allotting each duelist with eight thousands points. Yami drew five cards in quick succession, and the Collector pulled out five as well, his quick single jerk belying his agitation.

"As _you_ were so kind as to choose this complex challenge, _I_ shall be going first." The Collector drew a card, then squinted at his hand, his beady, greedy eyes searching back and forth as he attempted to formulate a plan. "I'll start off with this, for now. Ryu-Kishin, in defense mode. I hope you had a good opening hand," he sneered across the distance between them. The air shimmered with coruscating light as the card appeared, large and floating parallel to the floor, the image of the giant beast snarling on top of its solid-light surface.

Yami reached across his chest to his disk, drawing a sixth card to add to his hand. He was careful to keep his face indifferent as he looked over the new addition. It would work perfectly with what he had planned while waiting for the Collector's opening move.

"We'll just see how good it is. Here goes! First I play Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts." A hologram appeared before Yami, an enlarged picture of the card he had just laid on one glowing blue slot on his duel disk. Above it, the air rippled in rainbow sparkles, then a figure exploded into being. A lion-ish creature with curling horns let loose a bestial roar of challenge, posture threatening in every line.

"Next, I'll fuse him with Berfomet using the magic of Polymerization!" Two more cards were plucked from his hand, one he placed next to Gazelle on the disk, the other sliding into a slot in the inner edge of the machine. Another holographic card flashed into being, a devilish man of red skin with black horns and wings rising, four arms folded, from its center. A black hole formed behind the two, a whirl of darkness etched with deep blues and purples. It swirled outward to encompass the two imposing creatures, their forms blurring as they swirled around inside it, vanishing inside its ebony depths. The rotation reversed, and one figure emerged, lunging outward to stand before its master, baring snarling teeth. A tan lion with two heads adorned with curling goat horns stood waiting for his command, white-feathered wings flared and snake-headed tail thrashing.

"Say hello to Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast! Chimera, attack Ryu-Keshin now!" The powerful haunches of his newly formed monster sprang Chimera forward, claws colliding with the opposing red creature, ripping it apart at the chest even as gleaming fangs clamped down upon its head. Multicolored shards of tangible light exploded from within the defeated monster, leaving nothing but lonely space in its wake. And with one beat of mighty wings, Chimera returned to Yami's side, the attack completed.

"Now I'll place one card face down on the field, and that ends my turn." A hint of a smile entered the spirit's voice, the corners of his mouth barely turned upward. Though it was an important duel, one that he could not afford to get distracted in, and certainly not one to be overconfident, he still could tell that this was going to be an interesting duel, and not for its challenge. "I'll leave it to you to decide if my hand was good, or not."

The Collector snarled at the other side of the room, eyes glaring at the winged beast. He ripped a card from his deck, jamming it down amongst the rest of his cards, searching their faces and his mind for anything with which to counter his opponent's new vigor, confidence, and skill.

* * *

Joey, Tristan, and Téa sat in a local fast food joint, seeking food as a refuge for the worried minds. Téa mechanically ate the hamburger she held before her, absently noticing that it didn't taste any different than the microwaved patties and stale buns she served at Burger World. She, of course, had been left to pay for all seven burgers (Tristan and Joey each had three) as her friends had conveniently left their wallets at home.

"I hope they're alright. I mean, it's been hours and we haven't heard a word," Téa said into her fries, brushing her short hair from her downcast face.

"Come on, Téa, I'm sure they're okay. I mean, no one's ever beaten Yugi and the Pharaoh at playing games." Joey slurped at his soda, staring, despite his words, out the store window at the nearby corner where Yami had left in the shadow.

"You mean, except Kaiba and that spiky blonde Oricalchos guy. They beat him," Tristan said from beside him, pointing with a soggy fry at Joey.

"Hey, man, we have to think positive. He's going to come through this, both of 'em will. I bet you right now he's out wherever he is, knowing we're with him all the way. _I'm _not going to let him be wrong! We just gotta believe in our friend, and the Heart of the Cards, and whatever else stuff he's going to use, and know that he'll pull through for us. Yeah!"

"Come on, Joey! You're starting to sound like Téa. But you're right, we gotta believe." Tristan stuck his hand into the middle of the table, palm down, and Joey and Tea did the same, forming three quarters of a circle they knew very well. "Hey, Pharaoh, wherever you are, we're with you, and we know you can do this. We know you'll bring Yugi beck home safely to us."

Back in the cold street, the dark alley remained empty and silent.

* * *

Yugi watched the duel progress, hope rising inside him. For once, it didn't seem as if the Collector had the upper hand. He had made a mistake, letting his arrogance get the better of him. Now he was paying the price for letting Yami choose the game, trapped in a battle where every move seemed to lead him that much closer to his eventual defeat. He kept his hopes in check, though, for while he trusted the pharaoh more than anyone, even he was not infallible, and this was only the first challenge. Even if he did win the duel, two more battles of who-knew-what-dangers where yet to be bested. Still, Yami's smile reassured him. Its confidence spoke of a plan, without seeming stupidly arrogant or incautious. And somehow he knew that his friends were with him, too, if only in spirit. Somewhere, they were cheering their friend on and quietly supporting him. "Soon, guys, soon I'll be home," he whispered to the cold, unyielding glass before him.

Yami drew once more, starting his next turn, his life points all intact. So far, the only hits had been his against the Collector, though each blow had only chipped away at his points. The man had shown a surprisingly strong deck, though not strong enough to rival his if he tried. Still, he refrained from playing any of his strongest monsters, such as Dark Magician, choosing instead to save them until he was sure the Collector didn't have some magician's trick up _his _sleeve. His gaze remained riveted on the card as he thought, a nebulous plan forming inside the labyrinthine corridors of his mind. He had known which card it was before he had looked at it, even before it had been drawn. At his first touch on its smooth surface, an electric jolt had surged ethereally through his mind. This time, his smile was more than just a quirk, but a wide grin, and he chuckled softly under his breath, knowing it discomfited an opponent.

"What are you laughing at? I see no reason to celebrate. This game is far from won!"

"Do you think so? You have 5000 of 8000 life points remaining to you. A valiant stand, yet it means this duel will be over in 5 turns from this one."

"Ahhhh, I see. You're bluffing. You've been having trouble more than denting my armor, so you're trying to scare me into faltering. You disappoint me. I thought you treasured your little friend more than that to make such an amateur mistake." A hearty chortle wobbled deep in his throat.

"Really? Let's see. For now, I'll set things in motion." He gracefully plucked a monster from between his fingers, flipping it over to place it face up on the glowing surface attached to his arm. "I introduce my King's Knight." A blonde man in medieval clothing, decorated in a playing card fashion and holding a sword, shone into life beside a woman similarly dressed who already stood upon the field. "If they seem a set, it's because they are. And whenever I have King's Knight _and_ Queen's Knight out on the field, I can summon from my deck the one who completes their trio: Jack's Knight, come forth!" Yami swept his hand out and up dramatically as a third man with matching clothing joined the two knights. "You should take a good look at them, for they won't be with us long."

"And what do you mean by that?" sneered the Collector in confusion and disdain.

"Only that I'll be sacrificing this collection for one of another. Feel free to study him all you like. He's of a collection that the likes of you will never possess! Slifer the Sky Dragon!" Yami threw down the card he had drawn, surges of blue lightning shooting across the duel disk and up his arm and chest. He bowed his head and pulled in his arms, straining against the power that flowed through him into the growing hulk behind him. A great form loomed up at his back, the shadowy mass shifting and writhing. The darkness faded as it hulked forward, showing red scales shining and glinting in the sparse golden light. Long spikes ran all along its ridged spine, stretching down the entire length of the dragon's sinuous, muscular form. A head the size of a small room arced down from the ceiling, the lower of two mouths gaping open. Two huge claws on slim, stunted arms hung down beneath a pair of giant leathery wings. Slifer lay coiled behind him, his mass cramped in the glass-enclosed corridor in constant motion. "I play one last monster, in defense mode, and end my turn," Yami finished, staring satisfied at the Collector's incredulous, near-terrified expression.

Yugi gaped up in surprised at the enormous apparition that was the Egyptian God Slifer. "But, that monster was the last card in his hand. Slifer has no Attack Points!"

* * *

What now, huh? Well, you'll see! Don't worry, Yami's the King of Games, he's got something planned that I think you'll like! And to those of you wondering about Yaoi in this story...I thought I addressed that alreafy. Oh well, I'll say it again. I don't have a problem wit h Yaoi if it is neccessary to the story. But if it is just so girls can envision two supposedly hot guys together, than it's just pointless and rather disgusting. I don't intend to have any in this story. They're just really good friends, trying to help each other out. That's all it's meant to be!

See you soon in Chapter 8: Furry Finish!


	8. Chapter 8 Furry Finish

AN: As promised, a second Chapter is up for you! See what Yami has planned for the curretnly powerless Slifer! I'll stop talking now and let you get to the story now!

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Chapter 8

Furry Finish

The Collector stared at the giant red dragon with a look close to fear. His gaze followed the lines of its body down, and he caught sight of the monster's attack point display. The jaw that hung open slowly closed in sly grin.

"All that bravado, and still your only move was a farce. You're the King of Games, aren't you? Why such a foolish mistake as to assume size is everything?"

"Perhaps I better explain my actions. This card is one of three Egyptian Gods I have waiting in my deck. This particular god, Slifer the Sky Dragon, gains one thousand attack and defense points for every card in my hand. As well, magic and trap cards only affect them for one turn, if at all, with special effects useless. And, if you looked closer, you would see that indeed I do know size does not matter," Yami replied, looking with a small, friendly smile at the furry creature he had place in defense mode to end his turn.

The Collector squinted into the shadow of the monster, spotting a small form floating beneath an undulating coil. It was tiny, especially next to the dragon, its whole body smaller than one talon on the giant hand and covered in brown shaggy fur. Bright green hands and feet hung almost limply at his sides and big, wide eyes peeked out almost comically. "That thing! A Kuriboh! You're even more pathetic if that thing will save you and your worthless dragon!"

Yami just smiled a little more. "Indeed? Remember: Five turns."

The Collector's face contorted in barely suppressed rage and indignation. "Really! I draw." He looked at the card and smiled a wide frog-lipped grin. "This should come in handy. I'll play a monster, in defense mode for now." Then he inhaled sharply as Slifer's second mouth opened wide, lightning forming in its maw before shooting out to strike the newcomer. A fast ringing echoed through the hall its attack points were lowered.

"Oh, you might want to remember Slifer's Second Mouth Special Ability. It automatically drains away attack points from any monster on the field. My move." The pharaoh drew a card, sliding it out of his deck and holding it out to the side, eyes closed while the meter jangled with a thousand added attack points. He opened his eyes slowly, placing his draw in a nonexistent hand. "I pass. Four turns."

The red and orange thread dragons across the Collector's chest and stomach rippled in grotesque emulation of the Sky Dragon as he shifted in confusion. "That's all? Then I'll crush you now!" The monster on his field shifted to attack mode, a giant dragon of black hide and traditional shape that Yami had never seen before. "Umbrel, attack his pitiful dragon now!" She reared up in response, wings flaring to hold her up. A stream of cloudy darkness flowed from her mouth, shooting towards the ruby dragon. The darkness looked as if it absorbed all the light, a column of pure shadow streaking toward the weakened Slifer. It drew closer and closer, it was going to hit-

"Activate trap: Multiply!" Yami's voice shattered the mounting tension in the room as a face down card activated, the one that had been there since his first turn. The air began to fill with high-pitched keening, and splotches of brown fur appeared all across the field. The numbers of Kuribohs continued to grow exponentially, clogging the darkness' path to the God. It collided full force with those in its way, the tiny creatures detonating on contact with the attack. More came up to fill their place, the explosions buffering the stream and preventing it from reaching its target. Umbrel stopped spewing the shadows after a moment, settling back down to the ground.

"Haha! Yeah Pharaoh, that was great!" Yugi shouted, beaming at his partner. He supposed he should have known what the pharaoh was doing. After all they had done it twice back home, once to stop Kaiba's Blue Eyes, and once to save him from Lumis and Umbra. Now, though, he was beginning to piece Yami's plan together. The Kuribohs would provide an impenetrable defense, stopping all attacks the Collector might throw at him. Then by the end of his allotted five turns, Slifer would have five thousand attack points, enough to entirely wipeout the other's life points. If everything went smoothly, that is.

"The I play another Elemental Dragon, Pyrok, in attack mode, and end my turn," shouted the Collector. Yami laughed inwardly at the incredulous look on the man's face, drawing his next card. Another surge of unreal energy shot through him, and he looked at what he had. The Winged Dragon of Ra glittered at him from his fingers, exuding power and strength. _I won't be needing him, if all goes well, but it's still good to have him in my hand, _he thought to himself. The discordant jangle ceased as Slifer now reached two thousand attack points. "Again, I pass. Three turns left."

"Ha! You say you will beat me, yet all you do is draw. You're not even bothering to set up. You can't win. I'll fortify my army while you stall, and make myself unbeatable. But first, let's see what is up your sleeve. I play the magic card Exchange!" The Collector's smile broadened horrendously at Yami's surprise. "Dismayed, are you? Good, that means there _is_ something in that hand you don't want me to have." Yami stayed rooted to his spot, forcing the rotund man to waddle his way across the marble floor to him. He brushed aside furball after furball, the Kuribohs squeaking indignantly. The spirit frowned as the man approached, stretching out his had to display his two cards. He knew which one the Collector picked even before he looked. The smile had grown, if possible, even larger and more devilish.

"You mentioned that wonderful dragon was one of a set. I believe then, that this is one of them?" He held forth the card he had taken, Yami sliding his own choice into his hand. "Good, good. I do so love collections. And you yourself said these creatures cannot be harmed by special affects. So your dragon's little draining spell won't get this one as it has my other two." His feet shuffled across the floor back to his position, where he turned around. "I'm curious as to just how powerful this creature is. Shall we take a look?" Three monsters on his side of the field vanished, leaving the two dragons alone. A great golden light flared from above in the vicinity of Slifer's cramped head. A shining orb with deeply etched lines hovered in midair, a bright sun against the shadows cast by the red dragon.

Yugi nearly laughed with relief. When he had seen what card the Collector had acquired, he had begun to get really worried. But the fear had been pointless; the Collector could never summon Ra, he couldn't read the text now shining on the card under the golden dragon's light. Yami just stood with the two cards in his hand and watched the proceedings.

"If you would like to use my dragon, you should read the script upon the card before you lose it. Then again, it is a special form of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, known only to the royalty and lost to time. I could tell you what it says, but that would be rather foolish of me." The golden sphere vanished a moment later, its waiting done.

"Aaaaa," the Collector screamed in frustration. "Then I'll just have to use my own brute force. I summon the remaining three of the four remaining Elemental Dragons; Geode, Hydros, and Lumen!" Three dragons shimmered into being, one appearing to made of earth, one of water, and the other of light. Each was then drained of power by Slifer's Second Mouth, though they still remained powerful, just as Umbrel and Pyrok had. "Now, my Dragons of Elementia, attack!" Five bursts shot out from his full sized army, and five different colored streams shot toward the wall of Kuribohs. Shadowy black, fiery red, earth brown, watery blue, and bright golden collided in tandem, sparking an explosion of orange and yellow. The room rocked with the force, coins from the golden piles beside around Yugi cascading down, their chiming adding to the cacophony. The five dragons closed their mouths as one, gazing ferociously at the still-standing wall of lovable beasts.

"Two turns." Yami said, tone as if he was merely stating a fact. They passed quickly, the Collector trying over and again to penetrate his furry shield, Yami drawing his last two cards.

"Your time is up. You have no turns left. This ends NOW! I switch my Kuribohs to attack mode. Kuriboh army, attack all five o his Elementia Dragons!" The creatures trilled in excitement at his command, floating forward en masse to descend upon the looming forms of the Collector's five dragons. They disappeared beneath a sea of brown and lime green, then erupted in blossoming flowers of fire. "Though each Kuriboh has only five hundred attack points, combined, their thousands equal enough to more than overpower your Elemental Army." The remaining Kuribohs retreated to hover protectively once more around Yami, leaving his opponent yet again defenseless. " Now for the final blow. Slifer the Sky Dragon, attack his life points directly!" The five cards now in his hands empowered his dragon with five thousand attack points, and the monstrous burst it let loose rocketed toward the Collector. The bright light faded slowly in time to the melodious tinkling of a life point meter running out.

* * *

Not quite what you were expecting? Good! Now for Challenge Two, which I'e still got some work to do on. Though I will use someone's suggestion...

Oh, and those Elemental Dragons the Collector had- they're not real cards. I figured he's out int the galaxy where who knows who produces his cards, so what the heck, there might be some that don't exist in Pegasus' version. So I used 5 of 6 dragons from my sister's original story Elementia, just to make her happy! If you want to read what she has written on it, check out her home page on it's evilmidgetturtle. I think, I'll fix it next time if that's wrong!

See you soon! (Hopefully!)


	9. Chapter 9 Burning With Anger

AN: Hooray for inspiration! I must admit it struck when I read Masami Mistress Of Fire's suggestion yesterday. (Just so you know, I used it, and if you want to find out what she suggested, I could tell you, or you could just read the story!) I was trying to figure out how it might work when it just hit me, of course with my arms up to my elbows in dirty, oily dishwater. I had to write it down. I stayed up until ten last night, starting at 7, and finished it off during school, instead of taking notes. (Who needs them anyway? actually...I do!) So, here you go, the next chapter of The Collector, only one day after the last two!

PS. No slacking as you read, despite what the Collector says, the game is actually a little complicated, and I don't want any of you to get lost. I pride myself in the design of this game andthe awful horribleness it creates! JK! Read On!

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Chapter 9

Burning With Anger

The remaining holograms shattered into thousands of sparkling, multihued shards of light as the duel ended. Soon they, too, dissolved into the dim light of the room.

"You did it, Pharaoh! You won the duel!" Yugi shouted excitedly through the glass. "Yeah!" Yami faced him, smiling and showing an encouraging thumbs-up.

The Collector spluttered at his loss, but only for a moment. He watched the two disgustedly. "He's not yours yet, so you might want to stop bothering _my_ property."

Yugi looked over at him, along with the pharaoh, whose expression had returned once more to being serious and daunting. "Just remember, I have the first win. And, if I'm able, _this_ challenge will be the last of our business."

"Oh, you think so, do you?" the Collector drawled, his composure once more established. A broad, evilly twisted grin disfigured his bloated face. Yami didn't like the look, as it seemed to not bode well. "You may have won this one round, but you've yet to win our private war. Besides, you've now exhausted the opportunity of having a game you have _any_ advantage in. You're at my mercy now." The awful grin deepened. "I believe it is _my_ turn to choose an attribute to test, and _how_ to test it. Why does this matter, you might ask, if this is how we agreed it to be?" The smile loomed closer as he leaned forward, sliding off the now deactivated duel disk. "Because you have made me mad. And that is never a good position to be in; things might get…dangerous."

The newly removed machine spun as he threw it to the ground, sliding across the gold-veined marble to clatter against the gleaming glass at the side of the corridor. The spirit's gaze followed its white, blue, and red blur of color, his eyes widening in surprise as the transparent surface it now rested against began to move. Through the rippling reflections he could see Yugi with an expression that mirrored his as the leading edge of the glass slid down out of sight into the ground. Golden trinkets and jewels of sparkling shades tumbled down in a melodious ruckus as the surface they had rested against disappeared.

"What's going on! What are you doing!" Yami shouted across the room, eyes locked with the frightened violet ones in the now open chamber of riches.

"Just our second challenge, what else? I'm only preparing the stakes. Things are only interesting if there is actually any chance of losing what you want." A laugh wobbled in his throat, deep and sinister and threatening. "I'm taking back control of this little game of ours." Two trenches appeared in the floor, stretching on beyond either side of the contended captive and running on each side of the glass still remaining, rising with a soft whir to sit with their tops mere inches from the floor surface and their ends next to each opponent. Around Yugi a ring of the same trench rose, its circumference large enough to encircle him, but remaining small enough that he couldn't leave it, thanks to the golden leash that clinked softly as he stood. There was barely enough chain to allow his small stature to stand, let alone pull away. Inside the mysterious trenches, many small walls sectioned off compartments of shimmering liquid. A faint smell wafted across the open space to Yami, one familiar to him, though hazy, as if it was something from his forgotten memories. He recognized it, though he didn't remember from where, as lamp oil.

"What is this? What is its purpose?" the pharaoh asked in confusion.

"Merely set up. Don't worry if you don't understand. You will once I explain the rules." The Collector laughed jocularly, seeming to have forgotten about his former frustration as the other man was once more put off balance. A lazy wave of his hand, and flames erupted beside the two, startling Yami. He looked, and saw that the oil in the chambers beside both him and the Collector had been set aflame, the conflagration halting at the walls separating the compartments from the next.

"You see, this challenge will test our courage. It's a game I love, and have often played, as we get to give ourselves what we most need to win. I do so like gifts, even if they are from myself," the Collector explained, unconcerned with the fire at his side.

"Explain yourself."

"But, of course. In this contest, we will award ourselves points each turn. Whatever point total we give our self, within the range of 0 and 21, will be added to our total. So simple, and the first to 168 wins. That's only 8 turns if someone gives themselves full points each turn. But what is to keep both players from giving themselves these points indiscriminately? Well, there is what makes this game interesting. It's fear. Fear of losing what they are fighting so hard to win. Because, once we have given ourselves these points, the difference of our scores is subtracted from 21. This number is the stake score. The higher the stake score is each turn…the more chambers on these trenches _this_ happens to."

At his words, the wall separating the flaming chamber beside the pharaoh slid down, allowing the oil to mingle. Immediately the second compartment was ablaze. Next to the Collector, a second compartment was on fire as well. "This is the trick, getting those points _without_ allowing the flames to reach the stakes." He laughed harshly at the shock on Yami's face. "And trust me, many a valuable has been lost to the flame because of stubborn pride and unwillingness to let someone else win." The ensuing silence lingered as he savored the image of Yami absorbing this horrendous fact. "Shall we begin, then? Just write your score on the paper."

Yami scowled as a shadow arm reached up from the ground to hand him a pad and odd pen. He now had a choice, a very difficult choice. He could give himself the maximum allowed points each turn, 21, and reach the goal of 168 in 8 turns, hopefully before the Collector did. But if the Collector also wrote down a high number, especially a 21 as well, then the stake score would be high. This meant many compartments on the trenches would be set afire, and, after a few turns like that, the flames would reach the circle tightly surrounding Yugi, meaning that-

He stopped this line on thought, focusing instead on his score and noticing the Collector had spent no time thinking, but just jotted down a quick number. Right now, things were just beginning, so he needed to get an idea of his opponent's strategy. With a hasty scribble, he wrote down a number on the paper.

"Good, good, you've finished. I expected it to take you longer than that. No matter. Now just place the paper in the fires beside you, and we'll see what the other has chosen." His chubby fist crumpled the paper on the top of his pad and held it near the flame. Yami did the same, and they both released together. The smoke from the fires wavered, and the color of a thin stream at either side changed to a dark, cloudy black, in the form of two numbers, their scores.

"Hmmm, I gave myself a full score of 21. And it seems you gave yourself a 19. Daringly high, but apparently you don't have the courage to go all the way. The difference is 2, so that means the stake score is 19. Such a shame, looks like the flames will advance rather far this round." As the Collector spoke, the walls for a large group of compartments slid down, their oil joining and igniting as they met that of the two were already alight. Though the fire moved a large distance, it was still relatively far from its goal.

He would have to be careful. This round he had scored himself high trying to at least keep up with the greedy nature of his opponent so he might have a chance to win. But now the flames were much closer to Yugi. And that was probably the other man's strategy: How far would he let the blaze go before admitting defeat?

"Round Two, then?" the Collector purred malevolently. His head bowed, hiding his face as he studied the number he wrote upon a second sheet. "Go ahead. Show that bravery you so valiantly displayed as you came bursting through my door mere hours ago." The taunting voice caressed Yami's grimacing face as he attempted to work out a strategy of his own. After a moment, he tossed a crumpled paper into the blaze beside him. Again, numbers of darkened smoke formed hazy in the air. Yami's score showed high again, but lower than before. Surprisingly, the Collector's shimmered in the air a figure one point below his.

"Oh dear, it seems I've made a costly mistake. I rather thought you would fight back with a full score, so _I_ scored low to spare our dear friend. But, alas, no. Now it's your fault he's that much closer to danger, with a stake score of 20." His tone clashed harshly with his words, saying instead that he had known _exactly_ what was going to happen. The flickering firelight cast wavering shadows about the hall, casting an evil pallor as the flames roared forward again.

The turns passed, the fires snaking forward inexorably, the scores a haze of smoky numbers counting down the impending danger. The heat in the room began to grow uncomfortable, many of the Collector's guests in the back removing jackets to cool themselves. A brilliant glare of ever shifting light now lit the room, revealing the worried set of the pharaoh's face, and the wide grin on the drooping one opposing him. The Collector had continued to surprise him, each turn matching him with only a point or two difference above or below, as _he_ had continued to score himself lower and lower in an effort to slow the rapid progress of the flames. It didn't make sense, as the Collector showed no will to reach a win, but neither did he seem to care that the fire was now dangerously close to his captive. Yami, good as he was at games of all kinds, could not figure it out. Now, the last round was on them; it had to be, as the conflagration had reached the sections just two adjacent to the ring of oil around Yugi. If this round had a difference of scores of anything but 1or 2, the lowest possible, that ring would ignite, with Yugi inside it.

"So now we've reached the last round. Always the best part of the game, where the players'…true colors are shown, and wonderful emotions are high," the Collector murmured, smug satisfaction in his voice, and a hint of something more, malice. "Now _you_'ve got a decision to make. It so happens that you are exactly 21 points away from the goal of 168. If you score yourself fully this round, **_you-will-win._** And, not only this game, but your little friend's freedom as well. **But**," the work cut through his soliloquy with a satisfied pop, "I will be giving myself 19 points; not enough to win, but enough to put you in quite a dangerous spot. Because you see, that means giving yourself a score of 0 or 1 is the only way to keep our precious gem from being set…aflame." His mirthful laugh resounded through the room, as he gazed down on Yugi. He was still standing, attempting vainly to pull free of the chain that bound him in harm's way. Yami could feel his worry and fear, loud in his mind despite the faint, tenuous contact through the puzzle. "Oh, and, by the by, if you have the opportunity to win and you don't take it, your forfeit said victory."

Yami saw now what his plan had truly been. All along, he never intended to gain the victory, but to instead back the spirit into a corner where he had no choice but to voluntarily cause his own defeat. It was spite at its purest, done solely in response to him inciting the man's anger. His whole strategy had been designed to hurt and humiliate, and it rankled Yami that he could do nothing about it. But his choice was clear, there was no other decision he could make.

"What will you do now? You can win the game, and kill the boy, or lose the game, and lose the boy. Either way, you can't win. What _will_ you do now?" Behind the Collector, his mass of nameless guests laughed and jeered with open hostility. Yami ignored them, not caring about what was thought of him by people that only laughed while someone was in such mortal danger. He wrote down his choice decisively, and hurled it into the searing flames. Across from him, a knowing smile mocked him as the second paper was tossed in.

The flames spluttered and sparked, tongues dancing among themselves in a frenzy as if somehow sensing the tension. For the last time, smoky numbers formed beside the two, hovering in the air with finality. Yami's score hung as a single streak of black against the glowing flames, a one. He had chosen to have the low stake score and save Yugi, instead of win the duel and risking it all. But his anger at this low blow changed quickly to shock as an even lower one struck hard. The Collector's score showed, not the promised 19, but a 1. The stake score was now 21, and the flames would advance much too far.

"NO! YUGI!" He rushed over to the open space in the glass panels, grabbing hold of Yugi as the flames rushed forward, heedless of the Collector's previous warning of disqualification at this action. As he reached him, the flames reached the ring now surrounded both of them, but instead of the last wall sliding down to allow the fire in, it remained in place. The heat blasted them for a moment, then left in a cool rush of breeze as the fires died down. Yugi slumped to the ground in exhaustion and relief, Yami following him down, still gripping his shoulders. Another second passed as they sat in confusion before the familiar self-satisfied laugh broke their reverie.

"Hmhmhm," the Collector rumbled under his breath, "Did you really think I would kill him? No, _no_, he is much too valuable for that. It would be tantamount to burning my mountains of bills." Something startlingly cold pushed up against Yami's wrists, its relentless force breaking his grip. The glass rose back up, separating them once more, Yugi turning to face him. He placed his hand against the glass reassuringly. "I'll get you out, don't worry. But at least for now, you're safe." He stood up, grabbing the second duel disk from where it had lain forgotten for the duration of the duel.

The pharaoh strode back to his former position, every line and movement regal and dangerous, fitting of a powerful king. The people in the room stopped laughing, growing silent as they watched the change that stole over him.

"That little _joke_ might have amused you, but now it is _I _who have been angered. As you so kindly pointed out at the end of the last round, you have now exhausted your chance at choosing a game beneficial to you. And this round, I assure you, I will **_not_** allow you gain the upper hand again." Yami's glare made many of the guests quiver in fear of his wrath, but the Collector just smiled once more.

"Ah, but you forget, my miniscule monarch, that it is I who will decide who will choose our next game. And in case you haven't noticed, the only people in this room besides you and me…are on my side.

"And to the victor of this one last match goes the spoils."

* * *

I bet you weren't expecting him to lose, huh? A little short this time, but hopefully good. Be sure to come back next time as the last challenge begins in the next chapter of the Collector- Chapter 10 Silver-Tongued Syllables!

See you there!


	10. Silver Tongued Syllables

AN: First of all, I apologize for the long, long wait you've all had to suffer (yes I do suffer from delusions of grandeur from time to time) but first I had a bunch of projects to finish for school, then I had to study for and take my semester finals, then last minute Christmas stuff, then, I'm ashamed to admit, I suffered from writer's block. That means it's been what…2 months or more? Well, thank the person who reviewed recently, as that finally pushed me off my lazy bum when I realized that it wasn't fair to make you wait just because I hadn't bothered figuring out how to do this chappie. So, thank my sister Evil Midget Turtle for allowing me to bat around ideas with her and finally provide the little twist I needed at the end. And for those of you who have read the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony, yes I did kinda steal this idea from him, but I modified it to my own needs so it's not exactly the same. And I'm giving him credit right here so don't give me any grief!

Chapter 10

Silver-Tongued Syllables

Yami's glare shifted to the people currently cowering around the room. On the outside, he showed only anger and determination, which was what frightened those assembled. Inside, however, he was shaking, and his heart was pounding in his chest. The last round had ended poorly for him, and he was still shocked at the display of spite the Collector had shown, culminating in that final frightening moment where he had thought he was going to lose the one he held most dear. But the fear, instead of deterring him, as the Collector doubtlessly intended, had hardened his resolve. By the end of _this_ round, the _two_ of them were going home, together.

"Choose your man, as agreed," he said in a harsh tone to the Collector, denying him the courtesy of even looking in the man's vicinity.

"Why, my friend, I'm surprised," came the reply in confident joviality, "I thought for sure you would have been one to steer clear of sexist assumptions and chauvinistic remarks." The pharaoh's eyes narrowed sharply as a dark-jumpsuited woman, the one from before, stepped forward with deadly grace in response to a beckoning hand and mocking laughter. "Mari, my fatal flower, my pernicious purveyor of peril, you may do the honors."

The woman cocked her head, the movement so small it was barely noticeable. She was silent for a moment, seemingly unaware of the figurative spotlight shining upon her as she coldly calculated her next words. Then she spoke.

"The Challenge will be a test of ingenuity and cleverness, what is commonly referred to as a 'battle of wits' among that rabble with which our guest associates." Her words were demeaning, but devoid of emotion, matter-of-fact, making it all the more insulting. "The game will be one of modification and revisions of reality, done through holograms and carefully worded verbal instructions." She was obviously trying to be obscure and unclear in her description, but from the sound of it, this was to be a game of trickery and semantics, both of which the Collector had proven himself to excel at.

"This pointless display of vocabulary means nothing. Explain the rules in 'layman's terms' so we might get this affair done with. The two of us would like to go home." The Collector smiled at the spirit's interruption, clearly enjoying what he perceived to be the home stretch to victory.

"Very well, I'm a little weary of these meaningless antics as well." Mari stepped back to meld once more into the crowd of onlookers, a smug smile nearly visible on the thin line of her lips. The Collector continued. "We shall play with a holographic representation of a cave. A figure will be placed inside. We each will then take turns entering in a statement to modify the projected reality. You win if he leaves the cave; I win if I manage to…_eliminate_ him. For example; my first move might be a line like 'A ferocious lion enters through the cave entrance.' You would likely counter with something similar to 'The lion, however, is distracted by a fresh carcass in the corner.' Gruesome, to be sure, and something I would rather not see holographically displayed, but an effective disposal of the threat to the poor solid-light man caught in our deadly game. Clear enough? I think it will be easier to understand after a few rounds have passed." His laughing voice and drawling tones carried malice even in so seemingly innocuous words.

"Shall we begin?"

A bright light pierced down from the ceiling near the now retracted hanging lamp that had illuminated the wooden table from before. It diffused into a myriad of colors and highlighted airborne dust motes in rainbow hues before settling into slowly solidifying and ever more recognizable forms. Between the Collector and Yami formed the holographic walls of a dark, dank cave apparently deep inside a mountain. It depicted a wide subterranean room of grey rocks and green moss with only one entrance, only one way out, heading off to Yami's right side. "Now for the _piece de resistance_…" As was implied by the rules spelled out by the Collector himself, a figure appeared inside the cave near the back wall, ensuring the most work for him to reach the goal of the exit tunnel. And it seemed familiar.

"Since this game can be seen as merely an extended metaphor for your visit here, I found this rather fitting." The Collector chuckled in awful merriment as he watched the holographic figure finish materializing in the form of the true object of their contest, in the likeness of Yugi.

Yami scowled at the transparent attempt to get a rise from him, but said nothing. The unbecoming glee of the Collector faded slightly at his lack of reaction.

"Fine then, I'll start. Opening move." The words must have been some sort of verbal signal to whatever computer ran the hologram machine, for a soft whir began to sound through the room, as if in anticipation of the coming input. The Collector obliged by stating his opening move. "_Though at first glance the cave exit seems empty, soon it becomes apparent that there is another occupant, as an enormous dragon emerges from the shadows to charge at his prey_."

At his words, the hologram in between the two began to change, matching the scene to what the Collector had said. From the darkness and shadows surrounding the exit to the chamber, a great green, scaly dragon emerged, just as the Collector had stated. Short, muscled legs pushed its ugly, squat body forward, and it looked so comical it might have been one of Pegasus' toons if its eyes didn't glint with hunger or its teeth glisten with what look ominously like blood. It stalked slowly at first, then shattered the silence that had fallen throughout the room with an ear-splitting roar before it charged. Yami watched it run, wondering when it was going to stop and allow him his chance to modify the situation.

"Oh, Pharaoh!" The Collector's singsong calling caught his attention, and he looked up. "You might want to do something fast. This game is played in real time. Did I forget to mention that?" He cackled as Yami's eyes widened in surprise. The spirit looked down quickly and saw the dragon nearly on the holographic representation of his hikari. He didn't have much time to react due to the Collector's treachery. He frantically searched his mind for something to do to stop the attack. If only it was Duel Monsters, then he could spring some trap, a trap like-

"_A trap hole appears beneath the dragon to halt its progress!_" Unlike the Collector, Yami had shouted his command, desperately trying to stop the charging dragon of solid light. He was rewarded by a giant hole appearing in the ground beneath the hungry beast, and the holographic dragon fell with a frustrated, angry roar into its dark, unseen depths. The mini-Yugi stepped back from the cave wall it had pressed itself against in an attempt to get away. Yami realized he had stepped forward unconsciously, and made himself return to his position and forced now-tense muscles to relax.

"Interesting response, seeing as you now have to get your friend safely around that hole _you_ just created while at the same time dodging _my_ monsters." He smiled, perfectly aware it had been a reflex reaction with little thought at all other than instinct.

_Great_, Yugi thought, trying to see the playing field from his sitting position,_ he's already got the Pharaoh on the defensive. This doesn't look good! _He watched and listened as the play continued.

"_A man-eating plant begins to escape from the lower caverns through the trap hole, reaching for the boy."_

"_The plant, however catches fire, its attack stopped as it dies a fiery death."_

"_But the flames catch on the moss of the cave, and the conflagration begins to spread throughout the room."_

"_Water from an underground river rises up through the hole, extinguishing the fire."_

The back and forth exchange reminded Yugi of a picture book he had read as a young child. The first sentence had something happening to a young boy, and the next sentence continued with, "Unfortunately, blah, blah, blah." Then, "Fortunately, something else happened," and "Unfortunately, something bad happened next." Back and forth it went, fortunately and unfortunately, just like it did now.

"_The water doesn't stop coming, though, and the cavern begins to flood."_

"_A friendly fish allows him to ride its back, so he does not drown."_

"_The water finally begins to drain, beaching and suffocating the fish."_

The Collector had reacted this time, instead of initiating an attack, leaving Yami an opening to make his first offensive move. "_A bridge forms, allowing him to cross the hole so that he is closer to the exit."_

The Collector frowned at his misstep, but recovered quickly while Yugi celebrated the progress. _"An earthquake begins to shake the cavern, dropping sharp stalactites down upon his head."_

"_He manages to escape to a protective overhang of rock."_

"_But the earthquake begins to shake that loose, as well, bringing it down on him."_

"_However, it crumbles so that the pieces fall harmlessly to the side."_

"_A giant crack opens up beneath him, the shaking threatening to drop him in."_

"_But instead the shaking throws him across the gap to the other side."_

"_The ground heaves, tipping the earth backwards, and the boy begins sliding back toward the crevice."_

"_But the crack and the hole fill in with dirt from the heaving, leaving a stable surface."_

"Well," the Collector remarked affably, "It seems we are right back where we started. Well played."

"Pharaoh! What are you going do? Everything you do he just blocks and attacks right back!" Yugi cried.

"Don't worry, Yugi. It seems I can stop him as well. I can keep 'you' alive for as long as necessary." Yami smiled at his friend, a look in his eye saying he had figured out something. "That is, along as he doesn't bring out a sphinx."

"What?" Yugi didn't bother hiding his confusion at Yami's statement. Why not a sphinx? Yami merely kept smiling warmly, sending a wave of reassurance over their bond, though the distance between them weakened it.

The Collector's face split wide, and he began once more to laugh. The pharaoh turned, his expression once more stony while the obese man's mirth subsided. "So. No sphinxes, then, hmm?" He was sure he had the game won, now that Yami had stated what he thought it would take to beat him. "Then this is my move: _A monstrous sphinx appears, blocking the exit._"

"Thank you," Yami replied, now smiling at the Collector.

"What do you mean 'Than-" the Collector stopped when the woman-headed sphinx began to speak, her eyes showing that she addressed the holographic Yugi.

"Poor men have it, rich men don't want it, and if it is eaten, you will die. What is it? Answer correctly and you may live." A tawny tail twitched as she waited for a response.

"The answer is simple," Yami said, "It is the same thing that stands in my way now: Nothing." As he spoke, the sphinx opened her eyes wide in horror, then threw itself upon one of the fallen stalactites. "Now for my move. _Yugi was able to walk free of the prison!"_

"What! You cheated, Pharaoh! What did you do to my holographic programming!" The Collector demanded, incensed at his loss.

"I did nothing underhanded, you can be sure of that. I simply realized that by going second, I was forced to mainly react instead of initiating anything, rendering me effectively useless, simply a shield. To be able to win, I had to get _you_ to do what _I_ wanted. When I said what I did about the sphinx, it was true; it was simply going to be a stalemate until you summoned it. But once you did, I simply waited. As the game played out in real time, I merely needed to stall until the sphinx's natural love of riddles broke through. Then, since I answered correctly…well, perhaps you aren't familiar with the Greek legend of the sphinxes. It tells how they have such pride in their intellect, they commit suicide if a 'mere human' manages to answer their riddles. As you saw, this one clearly followed the legend, allowing me a clear path to the outside, which you could not contest as it was not your turn. Your overconfidence that you had this won was your downfall."

"Clever," the Collector sneered, while the holograms of the final, deciding battle faded away with the pharaoh victorious.

AN: And thus is finished the chapter I had no ideas for. Stay tuned, I also haved the last installment of the Collector coming up!


	11. Endings and an Epilogue

AN: I would like to thank all of you for sticking with me for this long. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Yes, I know, cliche, and a writer should avoid that, but its true. So, here you go, the end to it all!

Chapter 11

Endings and an Epilogue

"I've won my second challenge. Now it is time that you let Yugi go." The Pharaoh's voice was suddenly calm and low, but serious and determined.

"I'm sorry, but our agreement clearly was that whoever reached two wins _first_ would win our war."

"I did, so quit this pointless dawdling and release him!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid you are mistaken. You see, it was _I _who reached two first, with our little fiery face-off, and of course our little test of luck at our first encounter here." The Collector smiled wide and false, full of love for his cleverness and spite at the other man. He turned pointedly away from Yami's gaze, and began walking toward the glass enclosed room where Yugi stood, still holding the Millennium Items, the spirit's deeply violet eyes flaring with anger at the brush-off. "You really didn't think I would let you have him that easily, now did you? Money may be boringly commonplace, but it can come in handy when you wish to have certain things go your way. Money means power, and here I _have_ all the money. You never truly had a chance." His eyes slid back to meet with Yami's, their slitted stare evil and self-satisfied. "If I were you, I would think of leaving while I was not quite ahead. Our match was…fun, but I'm beginning to grow weary of your presence. It really wouldn't be good for your health to stay around much longer."

The shadows on the floor began to wiggle and writhe menacingly, and Yami knew he was being threatened with more shadow creatures. He held his ground. "I will not leave here without Yugi. You will let him go now." His voice was deadly calm now; he knew this statement was likely to incite the wrath of the man, and he was ready for it. "You claim to value him for his light. So do I. But not for its rarity, as you do, but because it is freely given. By showing me his light, he pulled me from the darkness I was in. I cherish this light, not because of what it is, but because of who it makes _him_; a friend, partner, and companion. By knowing him, I have been able to see my own light, and for that I owe him much. And that makes him worth more to me than any mere object or valuable could_ ever_ be!"

"So touching, truly it is, but I'm afraid you only wasted your breath. Don't you get it? You've lost, you're through, there is nothing more you can do here. So why don't you just GO AWAY!" The Collector's voice had been rising over the course of his statement as his patience grew thin. At his last final shout, the wavering forms of the threatening shadows leapt from the floor and surrounded the pharaoh. "This time, my irksome friend, you don't have your little golden toys to save you! You really should have listened when I told you to leave! Now I'm going to enjoy watching you die!" Yugi cried out in fear as the shadows contracted around his friend, creating a sphere of black that rippled with malice, through which the hazy form of the pharaoh could be dimly seen.

From within the encircling darkness Yami's voice came, confident and unafraid. "If you believe I am only capable of defending myself with those items, you are mistaken. I have not only my own light on my side, but the light of all my friends as well." The shadows loomed closer, pressing in on him. His eyes were shut tight, head bowed and hands clenched at his sides, as he dug deep inside himself for the strength to fight back. A light began to grow around him, shoving back at the encompassing gloom. It was _his_ light fighting against the surrounding dark, and he fought to fill it with every ounce of strength he had. It shone with the light of his courage, bright and strong. It shone with the light of his determination, a deep underlying glow pulsing like a heartbeat. It shone with the light of his anger and need, a rippling red sheen coruscating within the swirling brilliance. And it shone with the will to save his friend, streaks of golden shooting around and out at any shadow that got too close. But even with all his strength, the light grew smaller and smaller around him. He needed something more, he couldn't do it on his own, so he dug deeper into his heart, searching for the lights he held there, reaching out to them, wherever they were. He needed his friends.

* * *

Kaiba was in the middle of planning his next tournament, and not in a particularly friendly mood. On his monitor flashed the faces of potential participants, their stats appearing beside their generally frowning expressions. A familiar spiky-haired face popped up, coinciding with a sudden thought on someone he hadn't thought about for quite a while.

He looked at Yugi's face on the screen, his expression that of the more serious one he always wore when dueling. In a chair beside him, Mokuba shifted positions restlessly. "How do you think he's doing? Been a while since we've seen the gang."

"Good. But knowing him, he's probably in some sort of trouble. He always is." And Kaiba went back to staring at his screen, wondering why he actually felt a little worried about his usual opponent, and feeling as if, for only a moment, he was actually there with him and his brother.

* * *

Rebecca rifled through her deck, occasionally adding or removing a card from its careful balance. Every so often she stopped and stared at a particular one, reliving fond memories of duels that they dredged up. She pushed her glasses up her nose, then placed the top card on the bottom of the stack.

The prepubescent college student smiled as she looked at the card revealed. It was Ties That Bind, the one that Yugi had given her. His caring laugh rang through her mind, and she giggled girlishly too.

"Hey, cutie, wherever you are, you better not forget me. You, too, I suppose, pharaoh, though I haven't quite forgiven you yet!"

* * *

Duke boredly flipped through the channels on his TV, stopping on the news. The anchorwoman's voice drifted through the sounds of the wind blowing outside. She wrapped up the weather, as if he couldn't figure it out for himself, and began talking on a more interesting topic, Duel Monsters, the usual evening report on the latest fads, even though this one wasn't all that new. The typical part of the report came, and the faces of friends dueling against familiar opponents flashed on the screen. He watched as Yugi beat down a dragon with his Dark Magician.

He remembered his time spent with Yugi and his friends, and the pharaoh, too. A laugh escaped him as he looked at the poor fool's face as he was defeated. "You should know better than to face down my friend the King of Games. He can always win, especially when he's got his friends with him!"

* * *

Bakura looked up from the book he was reading, shaking the soft clumps of white hair from his face. The familiar feel of magic brushed against his consciousness, accompanied by the feel of an ancient presence. But it was friendly, unlike the one he was accustomed to. The pharaoh's touch inside of him made him worried, it had to be the pharaoh as he was the only nice spirit he knew. He could feel his weakness, and his search for strength inside him.

"Well, I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'll do what I can." In a dark, unheard corner of his mind, the last remnants of a different, malevolent spirit laughed at the attempts of his rival.

* * *

Joey, Tristan, and Téa stood once more at the end of the alleyway. The lunch of greasy burgers and fries were a distant memory, forgotten in the blowing wind and worry. Darkness was coming, the day growing old, and soon evening would fall. And their friends had yet to return.

"Hey, guys, ya feel that?" Joey asked suddenly, "It feels likes something's happening."

"Yeah, I feel it, too," Tristan answered, "It feels kinda like it did that time back at Pegasus' castle, but different. I think it's the pharaoh!"

"Look!" Téa cried, slipping her hand out her pocket. A soft golden light shone off of the back of her hand as she held it out to them. The two boys held out theirs as well, and saw they were also glowing. Placing them together, they formed three quarters of a friendly smiling face across their skin.

"Wherever they are, they need us. **We're here for you, you guys!**"

* * *

Against the glass, Yugi's hand glowed golden, the light shining happily against the cold sheen of the linked bracelets. He smiled at the portion of the smiley face drawn all that time ago when he and his friends had pledged their friendship. Inside the sphere of darkness, however, the light was still small, and growing smaller.

"Pharaoh, don't give up! We're all with you!" he shouted. His words hung in the silence, falling on the deaf ears of the gathered ill-reputes. But the light responded, the pharaoh's eyes opening wide. A sudden surge pulsed through the light pouring out of his body. It grew in intensity, brightening to what might have been blinding if it wasn't covered by the veil of shadows. The lights of all his friends added themselves to the spirit's own vibrant glow, a swirl of multihued colors bursting forth in resplendent radiance.

"As I said, I have the light of my friends on my side! And they will help me to defeat you!" The sphere shattered at his shout, dissolved into smoky wisps and tendrils of swirling black. But the light grew brighter and stronger still, flaring until Yami couldn't even be seen behind its glare. A shattering resounded throughout the room, the glass enclosing Yugi exploding outward, the coins and jewels scattered as the floor resonated with the pulsing of the light. Yugi looked away from the brilliance, and gasped; the chains about his wrists and neck had shattered just like the glass. As the Collector staggered in shock, he ran, slipping on the fallen gold and sparkling glass shards, stopping as he reached the pharaoh's side.

The light died down, losing none of its power at its leaving. Yugi handed the Millennium Puzzle to the pharaoh, smiling. Yami took it, and one last flash came from him, smaller and less intense than before. The bracelets and collar fell off and clattered to the floor, where Yami bent slowly to pick them up. "You're finished," he said simply, placing an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders, and tossed the broken jewelry at the Collector's feet. "And I suggest that you let us go home before I show you _my_ shadow powers. I really don't think you would like the shadow realm."

The Collector's eyes flashed with what looked like fear for the very first time. One look at Yami's eyes told him he was serious, and the last remnants of light about him reminded him of the reality of the threat. He frowned in anger, but summoned a shadow. "That'll take you home," he said defeatedly. Yami just smiled and turned toward the waiting transport, Yugi following him right at his side, and they stepped through and were gone.

"Mari, follow them. No one makes a fool of me. You know what to do." At his cold words, the assassin slipped through the dark as it faded away.

* * *

Epilogue

The glow on the three friend's hands reached a peak, then flared a final time and faded.

"Is that a good thing, or a bad one?" Tristan asked, turning his hand over as if looking for an answer.

"What's dat, guys?" Joey shouted, pointing down the alley. A shadow rose from a sidewalk crack, expanding to form a portal, unlike the figures they had seen before. They crowed around, hoping with all their hearts that their friends had returned. A familiar purple-clad figure emerged on the side opposite from them, a smaller figure of brown and beige in his arms. The two stopped and looked around, unaware of their presence, and that of the third arrival.

The woman, dressed all in skintight green, approached the two oblivious new-arrivals, drawing a fancy, gilt knife with edges that glittered in the winter light. "Take this, you rich-" Joey's obvious rhyme was cut off as the pipe he had grabbed at the end of the alley collided with her head. The knife clattered on the ground as she fell backwards into the vanishing portal and disappeared. The pharaoh spun around, his lone form staring at the spot where Mari had been.

"Pharaoh, you're back!" Téa cried, rushing over to him. "But who was that with you when you came through?"

Yami just smiled and laughed, then the puzzle flashed. "Come on, Téa, it hasn't been that long that you've forgotten me already!" Yugi said up into her startled face.

"Hey, it's Yuge!" Joey ran over and threw his arms around Yugi, lifting him off his feet in a big hug. Téa and Tristan joined in, hugging and laughing, too.

"Oh, Yugi, we were so worried!" Téa cried into his coat.

"Uh, Joey, you can put him down, man," Tristan said even as he ruffled Yugi's hair.

"It's good to see you guys again," Yugi remarked as his feet once more met the ground. "And it's thanks to the pharaoh." Then his three friends looked at him as he laughed. "True!" he said in response to a silent comment by the unseen spirit. "He said he couldn't have done it without you guys, and wants to say thanks."

"Dude, it was nothing you wouldn't have done for us. You're our friend, so we gotta stick together!" Tristan said, looking off to Yugi's right where he thought the spirit to be, even though Yami was on his left. "Now let's go home!"

AN: And that is how it all comes to a close. I realize that Yugi and Yami have more friends than that, specifically, I didn't put in Mai, but I couldn't figure out how to get her in there. I guess all those other friends were enough! Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for other stories I may post, like the new one I currently working on, Four Hearts, a DNAngel fic. I plan on posting it soon.


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